100 Passionate People

Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Who are you?

I was born in Taipei, raised in Rome and Bangkok, and am currently a senior majoring in international politics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. I am the former Co-President for Georgetown University’s Taiwanese American Student Association, as well as the Manager for the Hoyas in Greater China Internship Program. I take part in these activities because I want to share my passion for Taiwan with other people. I enjoy showcasing Taiwan’s unique traditions through cultural, social, and educational activities. During my free time, I like to hike, bake Oreo cookies, grow plants from eggshells and watch pandas sleep. In the future, I want travel the world and become a professional food critic.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Georgetown’s Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA) is a student organization that aims to promote Taiwanese culture. I became part of TASA since its founding in 2008. We started from three to five core members and developed into a forty-member and growing organization. From 2008 to 2010, I hosted a speaker event to discuss cross-strait relations, held an ITASA leadership retreat for TASAs in the Mid-Atlantic region, fundraised for Typhoon Morakot, and many more. To help advance interest in Taiwan, we also founded the Hoyas in Greater China Internship Program, which offers Georgetown students opportunities work experience in a diverse array of industries in Taipei, Beijing and Shanghai. Its industries include law, government, finance and non-profit. Last year was our pilot year, and we successfully sent eight students abroad through our program.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I believe that change needs to originate from within. If I want to see something happen, I will have to be the one to make it happen; if students want others to be proactive, they will have to become proactive first themselves.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

TASA has, and will continue to, reach out to those in DC, the US, and across the Pacific, to Taiwan. We have participated in Mid-Atlantic regional events, attended ITASA national conferences, and sent students interested in the Taiwan abroad to the island. Taiwanese students coming to the US also reach out to TASA for guidance. I see TASA as the center for resources and support for those who care about Taiwan and Taiwanese Americans.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Taiwan is my home — not “home home” or “homeee,” but “home.” Though I lived in three different countries while growing up, whenever I long for a sense of coziness and security, I think of Taiwan. I am proud to be Taiwanese because we are those who fought relentlessly for a democratic system, underwent rapid economic growth that surprised the rest of the world, sang 手牽手 to help each other to stay close and strong in times of crises, and invented the best drink ever existed: bubble tea.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Taiwanese Americans are ACTIVE (amazing, creative, talented, inspiring, vibrant and enthusiastic). Our strong sense of community is what will continue to drive us in the future.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I like to eat blueberry crumble ice-cream while watching animal videos.

UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

Who are you?

I’m a Computer Science PhD student at the University of California Santa Cruz. I grew up in a Taiwanese-American Buddhist family and had a life-changing moment with God when I was 10 years old. As a young child, I loved playing video games and have grown to appreciate the expressive power in interactive technology. Jazz is my favorite type of music, as it beautifully captures the reality and rawness of our human nature. People who play jazz music are heroes to me, because of the sacrifice they make to be true to themselves. Living for something real can be a lonely road, and none has experienced this more than Jesus Christ.

For my career, I research the use of Artificial Intelligence in expanding the possibilities of storytelling in video games. I’ve presented most of my work at various academic and commercial video game conferences. More accessibly, I’m a game and culture blogger at blog.ffpaladin.com, doing other projects such as video journalism for the game industry and author for game and culture books. Currently, I’m one of the coordinators for the Christian Game Developers Conference and the Monterey Jazz Festival. I’m also a band leader for the Terminal Degree Jazz Band, a group of Science and Engineering PhD students and friends that play gigs all around Santa Cruz.

In my community, I’ve organized a number of events to help bring Christians together to inspire and help the needs of our city. In my school, I’ve created my own seminars to help educate people on the cutting edge research in new technology. In my lifetime I aim to see the world transformed and unified through faith, music, and technology.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I’ve had the privilege to serve so many organizations all throughout my life. Currently I’m leading an initiative to organize the most well educated individuals in the bay area to steward our influence in ways that will transform the world. I’ve been constantly networking with PhD students from Berkeley, Stanford, UC Santa Cruz, and UC San Francisco. Of all my other leadership endeavors, this is at a comparably early stage; however, it’s the movement that I am most passionate about. Pictures, photos, and stories are all documented on my blog. I believe through a sincere friendship with people passionate about the same things, we can accomplish goals such as: (1) sending professors overseas to countries that need academic reinforcements, (2) bridging the education gap among social classes within the US and internationally, (3) inspiring a a generation of students that will never have to deal with apathy or lack of purpose. In regards to my own story, it’s basically, seeing the need, finding a solution, finding the resources and making the friends, and not letting go of that vision. I’ve made many friends along the way, and things definitely move slower than I’d like to see; however, the possibilities are worth the wait. This movement is called Reclaim! Currently, we’re blogging and trying to plan our next big event, scheduled for 2012.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I am most inspired by Jazz cats, hackers, and missionaries. There would be no greater honor than to be part of these three communities.

Jazz music keeps a person sane in a world that holds strongly to a status quo. The culture and musicians inspire me to consider the possibilities and push to find my own voice and message. The reverence that Jazz music has for its history points to key individuals that did what was true to them despite what everyone else was doing. Jazz music connects you without conforming you.

In Silicon Valley, my profession, and research communities, I’ve met some of the most inspiring individuals. In the hacker culture, you don’t settle for how things are, because anything worth using is worth understanding. These people hold me accountable, that any statement worth stating should be proven first. If you can dream it, then you better be able to build it. So many people build their dreams daily, and I see it through game developers, app developers, web developers, and other engineers.

Finally, missionaries inspire and motivate me as a student leader, because the go into the darkest in the world, bringing hope. I aspire to have the love and vision that it takes to be a missionary and live through the worst in hope for the best.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I hope to inspire a world through faith, music, and technology. I want to see a world that makes the most of the influence they’ve been given, and that the live lives worthy of the calling they have received. My organization will find answers for the most hopeless problems and bring light to the darkest places of the world. Reclaim!

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I’m a second generation Taiwanese American and have spent part of my childhood in Taiwan. I’m proud to have these ties to the East in a time when so many exciting changes are happening. There’s indeed and increase and shifts in the sort of influence we are gaining in the East, and I have to privilege to in direct connection to what is going on in all of Asia, through Taiwan.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

As international and cross-cultural interactions become more prominent, Taiwanese-Americans have a big role in effecting how and at what rate the world changes. There are three interesting things that have been emerging from the Taiwanese Americans over the decades: (1) introducing and translating the aspects of Eastern culture to the West, (2) Western Culture to the East, (3) and developing our own rich and unique culture among the two.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I would be a professor in Afghanistan and North Korea if someone gave me the opportunity to, but also MIT or Stanford. I could see myself living in a mud hut, eating rice everyday or traveling first class around the world living in 7 star hotels. I’m happy as long as I can play Jazz on my tenor saxophone and love people; although, having a computer with internet now and then would be nice too.

St. Louis University, Saint Louis, MO

Who are you?

I was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri with a brief two year stop at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to get my B.S. in psychology. I am a second generation Taiwanese American and a current graduate student in developmental psychology at Saint Louis University. My research focus is on Asian Americans and ethnic identity development. I am also vice president of the Taiwanese Student Association here at Saint Louis University.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

My interest in Asian Americans and identity development is rooted in my own development as a Taiwanese American and the way I came to this identity. I was always curious to know if others came to their identity the same way I did or if they took different routes and how well that route worked for them. I hope to explain the factors that encourage ethnic identity exploration and through this I plan to help other Asian Americans develop an appreciation of their native culture and to provide them with the resources and encouragement to help develop their ethnic identity. I am currently working on three studies that will look at the effects of parenting styles on a child’s interest in exploring their ethnic identity. Another is exploring the way in which different variations of encountered racism affects one’s interest in exploring one’s ethnic identity. My last study examines the role of generational distance (first generation or fifth generation) of Asian Americans on interest in exploring ethnic identity. As vice president of the Taiwanese Student Association, I work with a great group of international students as well as American born Taiwanese students at the University. We provide a valuable resource for the international students by helping them ease their longing for home and getting them comfortable for a new life in the United States. For the Taiwanese Americans, we provide cultural events that are both informative and fun. We also provide a forum for Taiwanese Americans and international students to discuss issues and interests regarding Taiwan and the world.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My motivation as a leader really comes from several places: the Taiwanese people at this school, the Taiwanese Americans all over the United States I could potentially help with my research, and lastly myself. I feel that a good amount of motivation to serve on board of TSA and to do research regarding Asian Americans, comes from myself and my past experiences. Growing up in a Midwestern town, I did not have a lot of resources to learn about my culture. This experience motivates me to provide the Taiwanese Americans that I encounter the best possible chance to successfully explore their ethnic identity if they choose. My advice to student leaders is to have both your own goals and aspirations and to work together on events and issues that the members of your association find entertaining and fun. I think the whole point of being a part of a Taiwanese group is to celebrate our common heritage. Your own goals and aspirations provide a direction for your association or club to go towards while listening to your club’s members allows them to feel included, giving them a sense of belonging and pride.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I would love to once and for all figure out what promotes interest in ethnic identity. My hope is that with this information, I can help develop a new generation of proud Taiwanese Americans who are culturally knowledgeable and who are happy with their identity. I hope that my research will make me prominent within my field and that I can use my stature to promote ethnic studies even further.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Taiwanese America to me is a place where people recognize that we as Taiwanese are unique. That what applies to China and the rest of Asia affects us differently. I also hope that we as a group can educate others on what it means to be Taiwanese and that there is so much more to Taiwan than factories that build cheap toys for McDonald’s. I hope that one day, all Taiwanese Americans are knowledgeable about their culture, heritage, and mostly their language.  I want us to be proud of where we have come from and to respect the sacrifices our family made for us to get here. I hope that we as a group can come together and give a voice where we are heard and taken seriously.

Any additional information you would like to share?

As I have stated before, I am currently conducting research about ethnic identity development in Asian Americans (not just Taiwanese).  My current research is focused on Asian Americans from 18-25 years of age, but future studies may require other age ranges. If you are interested in helping to further our knowledge of identity development in any of these studies or any future studies, please e-mail me at wling@slu.edu. I hope to develop a data base of interested Asian Americans. If you know of anyone else willing to participate please pass along the e-mail address.

UT Austin, Austin, TX

Who are you?

I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American born and raised in Arlington, Tx. When I was younger, my parents would let me watch a lot of Taiwanese dramas and Chinese historical dramas. I fell in love with my culture and language.

Currently, I am a 2nd year graduate student in UT Austin College of Pharmacy. When I’m not studying, playing, or doing something with my organizations, I am always searching for food. It’s so fun going around Austin, trying out the different hole-in-wall restaurants!

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I’ve been historian, vice president, and president ’11-‘12 for Asian Pharmacy Students Association; social chair for APhA, and taken officer roles for many other organizations, but the organization that had the most influence on me has been the UT Taiwanese American Students Association (TASA).

When I first joined TASA my freshman year, it was a very small organization, consisting mainly of a small group of friends. I fell in love with that close-knit group because we brought together our Taiwanese identity and it was an excuse to get together and have fun. Throughout the years, I’ve been an Junior Officer, VP Internal (for 2 years), and President and I’ve loved every minute of it. My biggest accomplishment would be coordinating both the 6th and 7th Annual Night Market, which showcases the night market culture in Taiwan. After a lot of hard work and help from my team members, we were able to increase the attendance from 500 attendees to over 1000 people, triple the budget, add a photo booth station. Following that, I advised the last two night market coordinators, who have now added the green onion pancake stand/shaved ice station.

The Taiwanese American identity is still something that is new in Texas. Most people identify as only Taiwanese or even Chinese, much less as an Asian American. I wanted to create an atmosphere where they could bond, have fun events, and develop their identity. I wanted TASA to be a place where people can make lifelong friendships, especially since that is what it had done for me.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

From my involvement in TASA, the most gratifying moments for me would occur at the height of our night market events. Just standing there and seeing the crowd enjoy themselves makes me realize how many people we reached out to and introduced to Taiwanese culture. It makes me feel like I made a contribution to the lives of others by putting out such a large scale event that they enjoy. Since I stopped coordinating Night Market, I have continued to stay involved as an advisor to the event coordinators after me. I make sure to share how I felt in those moments when the event is in full swing and I’m finally able to breath that sign of relief because we once again pulled off another great event!

In addition to that, I love giving back to the organization that helped me develop myself as a leader as well as the one I met many of my close friends through. I knew from the very moment I joined TASA that I would love being part of it, so I applied for a junior officer position. Almost all of my UT friends throughout my undergraduate years have been TASA members and I’ve learned so much from each and every one of them! I wanted to do what I could for TASA and help out by being a leader. I wanted to give the younger, incoming students what I was given and provide them with as great an experience as I had.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

Although there is a significant student population that is Taiwanese at UT, many students become more involved in other organizations due to the plethora of student organizations at UT. Due to this, TASA should continue to work hard at reaching out to other organizations on campus and in the local communities in order to promote Taiwanese and Taiwanese American culture even more so! TASA is a great resource to showcase our rich culture, delicious food, and amazing people. With our large scale events like the annual TASA Night Markets, we will demonstrate our Taiwanese heritage to all the Taiwanese students at UT as well as better educate and expose the uniqueness of our culture to the UT campus. I envision TASA to be an organization where lifelong friendship is made; people connected together by memories made in TASA and the bond of being a Taiwanese American.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Currently, my friends and I are starting up an Austin branch of the Taiwanese American Professionals (TAP) organization. We hope to create a community and network in Austin to connect Taiwanese Americans in their post collegiate years.

TASA website- http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/tasa/home.shtml

My friend, Peter Petrzala- TASA Co-President ’10-’11, and I started a Taiwanese food blogsite together!
http://theasianchildsproject.blogspot.com/

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Who are you?

I am the only child of parents originally from Taipei, who now reside in Troy, Michigan.  Currently, I am a senior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

At Northwestern, I’m a Political Science and English major; while heavily involved academically, I have spent a significant component of my undergraduate career outside of the academic sphere, engaged in various on-campus extracurricular activities, primarily those pertaining to student advocacy and civic engagement.  Indeed, outside of my role with the Northwestern Alumni Association, I’ve worked extensively with the Northwestern Residential College Board and the Associated Student Government.  During my sophomore year, I also founded NU Decides, a civic engagement-oriented organization that registered over 1,300 students to vote in the 2008 Presidential election.

All of these experiences have ultimately led me to develop a strong interest in the intersection between U.S. national security policy and the legal system.  As an extension of this interest, I’d like to eventually attend law school and serve as a prosecutor for the federal government.

At the same time, however, my professional aspirations are not solely limited to the legal sphere; I am extremely honored and excited to have the opportunity to work for the Boston Consulting Group, an international management strategy consulting firm in Chicago, following my graduation from Northwestern.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

As the Student Director of the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA), I sit on the university’s Alumni Board as the direct liaison between the Northwestern undergraduate student body and its representative alumni organization. As many would say, I serve as the eyes and ears on campus for the NAA Board, so as to help it meet the ever changing needs of the undergraduate population.

Outside of assisting in various university policy decisions, I have spent much of my Student Director term helping to refine the Alumni Association’s programmatic offerings to the student body. To do this, we have developed strong relationships both internally at Northwestern, reaching out to key student leaders to solicit feedback on NAA events and activities, while also connecting outwardly via research of peer institutions and their respective Alumni Association efforts. One of our efforts this year, a product of such research, centers on the celebration of Northwestern 160th birthday, for which we recreated several forgotten university traditions (with a modern twist) on campus.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I have found that the best way to find inspiration for yourself is simply to look to the acts of others.  Leadership can often be something that is contagious. Whenever I see the courageous efforts of our American troops in the Middle East, or the selfless acts of volunteers in post-earthquake Port-au-Prince, or the tireless passion of student leaders on a college campus, I am always filled with an immense amount of pride and more importantly, a profound desire to give back – as they have – through my own actions.

I really believe that the world is filled with incredible people. To improve ourselves and to become better leaders, all we need to do is look around and learn from one another.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

There is an incredible amount of talent within the Taiwanese American community, yet so much of it is still left to be revealed to the rest of the world. I hope the future of Taiwanese America is one of new leaders that step up and break through these barriers – together, with support from one another – in all walks of life in the U.S. such as, among others, entertainment, sports, business, academia, and especially in politics.

University of California – Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

Who are you?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American born in Monterey Park and raised in Diamond Bar, California. I am currently a third year Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting major at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My hobbies are playing basketball and DJing. My parents immigrated to the United States about thirty years ago to pursue their educational endeavors and career goals. Throughout the course of my life I was able to experience the network of connections my parents have made in becoming successful in America. Ultimately, this encouraged myself to also connect with the culture and learn about the heritage. I will be studying abroad at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan in the Spring of 2011 as an exchange student. I hope to eventually be able to read and write proficiently in Chinese.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities; to encourage scholarship, social activity and the association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; to promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and to further a higher standard of commercial ethics and culture and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.

Once entering UCSB I was a lost college student in search for a path to succeed in life. There were numerous ups and downs during my first two years but I learned from the errors I encountered. Therefore, I eventually thought about my goals and aspirations in wanting to succeed in life and helping others with the same goal. Something I noticed that our university did not have to offer was a business program. Business makes things happen and is vital to every part of our society. The reason why I started a chapter of Delta Sigma Pi at UCSB was to promote students to network with employers, faculty members, and most of all other UCSB students. Friendship could possibly lead to partnership. Delta Sigma Pi offers endless opportunities because of the large network across the nation. Our first large event which brought in over 500 guests all over Southern California was where we invited “Johnny Cupcakes – America’s #1 Young Entrepreneur of 2008 by Businessweek.” He presented about his venture and shared his ideas to students about succeeding in the clothing industry. We partnered with numerous companies and also with our UCSB Career Services. We have seen our brothers succeed personally, professional, and fraternally. As President, I also lead eight other Vice Presidents in expanding our Sigma Beta Epsilon colony in becoming the Rho Sigma Chapter at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My motivation in becoming a successful leader is from my father. I’ve watched him develop in becoming successful in life through managing his own practice in accounting and also founding the Sino-American Certified Public Accountants Association. He is well known in the Taiwanese and Chinese community as a renowned CPA. He is also the commissioner of Overseas Affairs for Taiwan in Los Angeles in which he was appointed by current Taiwan President Ma Ying-Jeou. Being a leader will allow other people to recognize your ability to lead an organization. In order to succeed as a leader one has to be passionate about their organization. Lead your future and be proud as a Taiwanese American.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Be proud of who you are. Represent and be heard!

California State University, Long Beach, CA

Who are you?

I am Taiwanese, born in California, lived in New Zealand, and raised in China. Because of my background, I have always loved traveling and experiencing different cultures. Currently, I am a senior at California State University Long Beach, majoring in Business Marketing. As a proud Taiwanese American, I am keen to learn more about my heritage. In my opinion, the best way to learn is through a leadership role. I find myself being drawn to leadership positions all throughout my life. The Taiwanese communities in the United States and in China have always been very positive and supportive about youth initiatives. Because of this, we second generation Taiwanese Americans have an outlet to give back to the community and broadcast our culture. Working at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles (SPCALA) in my spare time, I am also passionate about volunteer work and animal welfare. When I am not sitting in a classroom or working on a new project, you can usually find me strolling down Main Street at Disneyland, or spending time with my shelter-rescue dog, Bowser, at the dog park.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The TACL Leadership Identity and Development camp (TACL-LID) is a project that engages teenagers and young adults in leadership activities. It prompts campers to reach out to their communities and learn more about their Taiwanese American identity. As the Program Coordinator this year, my job was to make sure that the workshops and activities were as educational and interactive as they were fun. LID Camp is also a great tool for networking. Not only do campers get to meet other students that share the same interests, but the counselors and staff members are also given the opportunity to come together with other leaders that share the same passion for change. For this year’s camp, we aimed high and shot for 100 campers. Thanks to the dedication of everyone on the team, the response was beyond what anyone could have imagined. Not only did we reach our goal, but we surpassed it by a significant number of applicants. Being a counselor from last year’s LID Camp, I tried to incorporate my experience and vision into LID Summer Camp 2010. One of my main goals was to make sure that all the counselors and staff felt like one big family. Although everyone had his or her own responsibilities, it was crucial for me to enforce the idea that we were a team. Seeing the huge turnout rate at the reunion and the ongoing desire for gatherings from the campers and staff really made the whole stressful experience worthwhile!

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

TACL-LID camp is an organization that prides itself in educating youths about the Taiwanese identity. In a broader sense, it also teaches participants the social and professional skills needed to succeed in their careers. The skills that we teach are not only applicable for Taiwanese Americans, but also for the greater community. My hope for the camp is for it to expand to a larger scale and continue to educate youths in a way that allows them to become proactive members in their schools, churches, or communities. If I can have a lasting effect on just 10 kids, they will go on to educate and inspire 10 more kids. Our older generation created the Taiwanese legacy here in America and it is up to the current generation to bring awareness to the growing Taiwanese American community.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I am currently working on a nonprofit project centralized in producing elevated pet beds for local animal shelters. My dream is to ultimately improve the living conditions of shelter animals. To find out more information about my organization, Eat.Sleep.Love, please visit eatsleeploveblog.wordpress.com. ALL donations and aid will be put towards animal welfare.

Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA

Who are you?

I’m a freshman at Wellesley College, majoring in Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering at MIT (tentatively).  I’m a Taiwanese American who has a beautiful, loving relationship with science and mathematics. In high school, I was the co-president of Math Club and was the group leader of a research team that published a paper and presented at a energy conference in Japan. When I’m not being a nerd, I’m pretty active in several organizations on and off-campus. Two years ago, I co-founded the national chapter of a non-profit organization called Simply Savant, and served as the Director of Operations. I’m also one of two Freshman Reps of Wellesley’s Taiwanese Cultural Organization (TCO), and the Historian of Chinese Student Association (CSA). Other than that, I enjoy watching Taiwanese dramas, playing tennis, video editing, and watching the Disney Channel.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Two years ago, a group of my high school friends co-founded a nonprofit organization called Simply Savant. We wanted to promote academics for less privileged children who couldn’t acquire the resources to achieve academically or appreciate learning. Through educational programs, charity projects, and fundraising, we were able to provide children with the opportunities to learn and grow academically. One of our biggest projects included building over 22 libraries in facilities (Boys and Girls Clubs). As the co-founder and Director of Operations, I planned many events, kept our group on top of their tasks, and handled many of the logistics. Before going on to college, I organized, directed, and taught at a summer camp called Camp Savant.

At Wellesley, I am pretty committed to the Taiwanese organization. TCO seeks to inform the community about Taiwanese culture, and seeks to foster a greater community of active Taiwanese Americans.  Since Wellesley is a small school, we also welcome members from other backgrounds who are interested in learning about Taiwanese culture. I’m very happy to be one of two TCO freshman reps. We organize events such as a shaved ice night, a first-year pre-party, dessert study breaks, and Taiwanese-breakfast-for-dinner. We do this with the goal of serving as a liaison between the current members and new members, and getting new students to feel welcomed.

TCO was my first step in being active in the Taiwanese community. As I’m exposing myself more to Taiwanese culture and representing myself as a Taiwanese American leader, I hope to be more involved the next couple of years.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I was always the one to bandage things up when events weren’t going as planned, well-executed, or when disagreements would arise in organizations. I was always thinking three steps ahead, and it was the inner drive of mine to take initiative that brought me up as a leader in high school. I know that I don’t possess any particularly authoritatitve qualities. But I am practical, I am a listener, and most importantly, I am passionate. Passion is what sparks inspiration and motivation to do better for the community.

To future student leaders, some advice I’d like to give is to be passionate about what you are leading. Whether you lead seriously, optimistically, or practically doesn’t matter–what matters is leading passionately.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I hope that I will impact TCO in ways that will inspire 1st and 2nd-generations (and others) at Wellesley to confidently promote Taiwanese culture, Taiwanese/Taiwanese American identity, and political issues more actively on campus. I would like to see myself and TCO members getting involved with other organizations, such as ITASA and TACL. I would like TCO to be a bigger, more successful organization on campus, and it will be a place for members to feel like they are a part of a family. I hope that non-Taiwanese people who attend our events will want to continue to learn, appreciate, and understand Taiwanese culture.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

My mom is from mainland China and my dad is from Taipei, Taiwan, so most of the culturally significant events that happened in my life were a combination of Chinese and Taiwanese cultures. Albert, my older brother, and Jason Tsai, my close friend, have been very involved with TACL; seeing how influential they were as Taiwanese American leaders and the difference they made in the community, I was motivated and curious to learn about my own background and  identity. And even though I am only “half” Taiwanese American, I am still a proud Taiwanese American.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I’d like to see a more informed, active Taiwanese American community–a community with a variety of leaders from the entertainment industry to the sciences. 加油!

Any additional information you would like to share?

I love chua bing, taro boba milk tea, and Wu Chun.

Favorite Taiwanese commercial (<3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmmh9U_inVk

Links of organizations:
Simply Savant: http://simplysavant.weebly.com/
Wellesley TCO’s Tumblr: http://wellesleytco.tumblr.com/
TCO’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wellesley-Taiwanese-Cultural-Organization/167721603245237

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American – a single child from Plano, Texas. I lived in Texas until I was 6 years old before I moved to Taipei, Taiwan for 6 years. While I was there I learned how to listen, speak, and write in Mandarin, skills which I still retain today. Since then I have been living in Southern California and I am currently a 3rd year at the University of California, Berkeley majoring in Economics and minoring in Japanese. I plan to study abroad in Japan during fall 2011 and I hope to eventually become fluent in Japanese.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Currently, I am involved in UC Berkeley’s Taiwanese Student Association (TSA), East Asian Union, and ITASA West Coast Conference. I was the President (and now Senior Advisor) of TSA, which is a social student group on the UC Berkeley campus that promotes Taiwanese culture throughout campus and the surrounding communities and provides a platform for students to gather and enhance relationships.

During the past semester, TSA has extended beyond its usual reach by collaborating more with not only other Asian American groups on campus but also other Bay Area colleges’ Taiwanese American groups. We have also begun to organize academic events, such as Career Night, in which we invite many successful Taiwanese Americans to discuss with students and provide resources of future job opportunities. Our biggest event this semester was Karaoke Contest, which attracted more than 200 people. While allowing amazing singers compete to win the grand prize, the event also serves to promote Taiwanese pop music and pop culture to the audience, which was represented by a diverse group of Mandarin speaking students.

As President, I planned and lead the organization of over 13 events in a semester and provided our members the greatest amount of resources. We hope that through our events students can become increasingly well connected socially and professionally with the Taiwanese American community in the Bay Area. Most importantly, we wish that through our events and friendships, our members can feel like they are at home – Taiwan.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

As bad as stress may sound to you, I feel that giving myself an appropriate amount of stress really motivates me to roll out the best events. The sources of this stress may come from: a sense of urgency, all the risks in an event, and the mentality that you are responsible for any mistake and failure during the event. With that state of mind, I was pressed to make sure that all my officers get their work done and be responsible for their actions. Of course, you must have a passion for your student organization and its cause to enjoy your leadership experience.

UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Who are you?

My name is Sylvia and I am currently a sophomore at UCSD. I was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan in the peaceful neighborhoods of Neihu. In the winter of 2002, I moved to a city in California called Diamond Bar where I finished my middle school and high school education. While I was in high school I joined our school’s hip hop team (DB Junkies) as well as our women’s show choir group (Diamondaires&Solitaire), and that is how I found my passion for dancing and singing. Additionally, I developed an interest in photography after high school and this is what eventually led me to my involvement in the Taiwanese American Students Association (TASA) at UCSD, as well as my current major, Visual Arts Media.  During my freshman year of college, I found a sense of belonging by discovering an amazing group of friends in TASA. Because of them, I went out to every TASA event and soon after, my enthusiasm for the club got me the Historian position. This year I’m the Social Chair of TASA and my passion for it definitely remains. Being in college is about figuring out what you love to do, and helping people out, socializing with people, and promoting Taiwanese awareness are definitely things I have discovered and developed much passion for.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Currently I am the Social Chair of TASA. TASA’s main purpose is to provide a sense of community for Taiwanese Americans, as well as those who are interested in the Taiwanese culture mainly at UCSD but also among the greater community.  We have an event every week to create chances for people to socialize as well as to introduce Taiwan and its culture to people in various ways.

Planning numerous events might sound like hard work and I’m not denying it, but having a good turn out at an event, seeing people having fun and building irreplaceable friendships, and learning more about the amazing country of Taiwan make up for all the work I’ve devoted to this club.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

When I first came to the United States, I encountered times where I was made fun of because of my poor English and faced other difficulties because I had a hard time adjusting to an entirely new environment. Knowing how much it hurts to be excluded, I want to prevent that from happening to other people.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

My vision for TASA is to discover all the amazingly talented Taiwanese people around campus. Coming to college, the only regret I had was not being able to dance and sing every day like I did when I was in high school.  I believe in order for hidden talents to show up, there has to be opportunities provided for those people to utilize those talents.  Slowly, TASA is starting to provide those chances for people to do what they love to do; this year the new thing we’re doing is executing dance workshops every two weeks, and as I have predicted, a lot of new people came out.  Hopefully in a few years, we will be able to provide many other opportunities for people to demonstrate and develop their talents and hobbies.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am EXTREMELY proud to be a first generation of Taiwanese heritage because of the amazing, friendly people and beautiful scenery of Taiwan.  And whenever I go back to Taiwan, I can never have enough of their food!!  That is also why I am so proud; Taiwanese people CAN COOK! Even though as of right now I am not that great of a cook, but I believe it’s in my blood and I will be able to master and serve great dishes like 蚵阿煎 (oyster omelette) and 糖葫蘆 (tomato candy?) one day.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

AWESOME.

Any additional information you would like to share?

As I mentioned earlier, I am an aspiring photographer who still has a lot to learn!  But it would be amazing if you guys could check out my work that I post on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylvia20love) to give me some input or to admire them or to even just say hi to me!!

I absolutely LOVE making friends and chatting with people, so feel free to add me on Facebook! And if you attend UCSD, make sure to check out TASA!

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Who are you?

I am a junior at Rutgers University, located in New Jersey. Throughout high school and my time at Rutgers so far, I’ve been involved in a number of activities, ranging from fine arts to cultural awareness. At Rutgers University, I’m on the executive board of the Rutgers Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA). I was public relations chair and co-director of Nightmarket during my sophomore year at Rutgers. This 2010-‘11 school year, I am the co-vice president. Summer 2009, I attended the Pacific Asia Student Seminar at National Taiwan University as a group leader to discuss economics, politics, civil rights, history, culture, and human rights with 40 other participants from all over Asia. Summer 2010 in Washington DC, I was a meeting coordinator for the Formosa Foundation’s Ambassador Program, which is a US based nonprofit organization that advocates for the democracy, human rights, and the strengthening of US-Taiwan relations. So far, all of these experiences have made a huge impact on who I am right now. I have a genuine interest in US foreign policy towards Taiwan, and Taiwan in general. I enjoy eating, karaoke, and going on adventures.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

My own personal goal is to strengthen the Taiwanese American community and to impact individuals. In order to achieve my goal, I try to be as involved as possible in not only the Taiwanese American community, but also in the Taiwanese community. I would like to create awareness. Even if I have exposed a bit of Taiwan to just one person, I believe that it does make a difference. So why not expose it to more than just one person?

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

There are many factors fueling my inspiration for what I do. First and foremost, my parents have always been supportive – encouraging my siblings and me to go out, to explore and to learn. Because of their continuous support, I’ve been thankful and lucky to have gone on many adventures in Taiwan and saw with my own eyes what Taiwan has to offer.  Slowly but surely, my interest in Taiwan grew from interest, to love, to a passion, to something that I will forever fight for.

Keeping the previous leaders and all the hard work that they’ve put into what I’m working on now in mind motivates me. When I was a freshman and was just elected to be the public relations chair for my sophomore year, the newly elected TASA president told me, “Listen. To be a leader, you don’t tell people to build a boat. Tell them to get the nails, wood and cloth for the sail… and you don’t tell them where to put what or how to build the boat. Instead, a great leader tells his/her people about the wonders of the ocean to inspire them to build a boat.”

As a student leader, you have to be able to inspire and to motivate. You have to be able to get people excited on what you’re working on and what you want to achieve as a whole. At the same time, as a leader, you have to show your passion and make it something fun, or else the people will get bored.

Last but not least, my own desire for what I am personally trying to achieve keeps me inspired and motivated.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I spent a semester abroad in Seoul, South Korea. While I was there, I met someone from Taiwan. After becoming friends on Facebook, we noticed that I was friends with two of her high school classmates in Taiwan – one I met in Taiwan while I was attending the Pacific Asia Student Seminar, and the other one I met while I was in Washington DC for the Formosa Foundation’s Ambassador Program. This instance made me realize how small Taiwan’s community is. With that anecdote in mind, my vision is to slowly make the Taiwanese community more tightly knit. If we continue to work together and make connections within our Taiwanese American and Taiwanese community, we can really make a huge difference on a global level.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Throughout history to current day, there have been many individuals of Taiwanese heritage that have done and achieved great things but have not received the proper acknowledgment. We’ve gone through many ups and downs, and in the end, we always pull through. We, Taiwanese, have so much to be proud of.  Taiwan is an island with beautiful scenery, the best food, deep history, the friendliest people and so much more. I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. I am who I am, and I love it.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

In the future, I hope there is a stronger Taiwanese American identity, and a closer Taiwanese American community.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I helped design the mascot of Rutgers University’s Taiwanese American Student Association – the TASA Tofu. Check it out, it’s really cute. While you’re at it, visit http://www.rutgerstasa.org

New York University, New York, NY

Who are you?

I am an aspiring dancer/foodie currently living life in New York City and majoring in Nutrition at New York University. I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and still miss the West Coast. I have been dancing my entire life but first started off my performing life as a rhythmic gymnast at age seven.  I completed in the Junior Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics National Championships at age twelve and placed third all around in my age division. During my gymnastics career, I was also fortunate enough to have trained at the Olympic Training center in Lake Placid, NY. After middle school, I found my new passion in life, dance, and went to an arts high school, School of the Arts, and majored in dance.  There, I was not only able to work with many amazing teachers and choreographers in the Bay Area, but was about to develop my own choreographic skills. As one of two seniors chosen, I choreographed a final solo and a class piece with ten of my fellow classmates which ended up winning me my school’s Choreographer’s Award, San Francisco’s Yvonne McClung Award for choreography, and the Jason Robins Dance Scholarship. When it was time to apply for college, I knew I still wanted to dance and was accepted to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for their conservatory dance program.  However after freshman year, I realized that I wanted more than just a dance career, and decided to pursue another passion of mine (food and cooking), and transferred to the nutrition department.  I currently dance more than ever, but am also learning about healthy living and I get to cook on a regular basis!

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Since my freshman year at NYU, I have been involved with my school’s Taiwanese club, Taiwanese American Student Society (TASS).  Particularly, I have been Program Chair two years in a row for the club’s largest event, our annual Nightmarket, which showcases Taiwan’s famous nightmarkets. My role as Program Chair is to gather performances and create a show that showcases the best of Taiwanese culture for the enjoyment of my fellow Taiwanese and non-Taiwanese classmates. As Program Chair, I am able to utilize my dance background and am given the chance to express not only my love of performing, but also my creative and innovative backstage side. My main goal for the show this year is not just to showcase the uniqueness and specialities of Taiwanese culture, but also to show how relatable they can be. We are planning to have a past and present concept where we will show traditional and modern aspects of Taiwan, further displaying that Taiwan is everchanging and innovative, yet still always the Taiwan we know and love.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My inspiration comes from the immense pride I have for my culture.  I feel lucky to be Taiwanese American because it has greatly contributed to and better enriched my understanding and perspective of people, ideas and the world. Growing up in an environment where I was exposed to two different cultures made me the confident, strong, and proud person I am today.  And specifically, for my role as Program Chair for NYU TASS’s annual Nightmarket, my dance background and previous experience with performing, stage management, choreography, and directing gives me the foundational knowledge and skills needed to direct a large scale show like the Nightmarket and convey important messages about Taiwanese culture.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

In actuality, NYU does not have a large Taiwanese student population. Therefore, TASS Nightmarket’s main audience is in fact non-Taiwanese students, representing various cultures from around the world.  As a result, our events tend to be very educational and expose the uniqueness of Taiwanese culture for people who are not familiar with it. As a Taiwanese person, I am truly passionate about my culture and am more than proud to show it off for its specialities. But I also believe that I am a more fulfilled and cultured person because I have both my American and Taiwanese cultures.  For me, they work together. Rather than showing how different and almost far fetched Taiwanese culture is, I want to showcase that yes, it is a unique but also relatable to people of all cultures for our basic love of delicious food, rich culture, entertainment and the amazing people.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am extremely proud to be Taiwanese simply because of of the amazing people, food, and culture that is Taiwan. Whenever I visit during the summer, I lose myself in the Taiwanese lifestyle, which includes amazing hot pot, bubble tea, nightmarkets, shopping, nightlife, convenience of everything, and most importantly, the extremely friendly and hospitable people who always make me feel welcomed.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I see a very bright future for Taiwanese America in the sense that 2nd generation Taiwanese Americans like myself and many of my classmates haven’t even begun to truly show how unique and amazing Taiwanese culture really is in this country and the world.  Because I have both American culture from being born and raised in San Francisco, CA and Taiwanese culture from my parents who immigrated from Taiwan in me, I saw the ironic beauty in how well they work together.  There are many differences between the two, yet somehow complement each other.  In a sense, I hope that all Taiwanese Americans and people who have more than one culture in them all realize how lucky they are to have these two rich cultures in them.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Here is the video to my senior solo I choreographed and performed at my high school’s School of the Arts 2009 Dance Concert.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1105353588122

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Who are you?

I am a junior at Princeton University in New Jersey but I grew up in Troy, Michigan. I’m majoring in biology but also taking coursework in public policy and law. I’m interested in the effects of disease on human development, and the best way to implement health aid programs. While both my younger sister and I were born in the United States, my dad is from Taipei and my mom is from Kaohsiung. I grew up attending Chinese school, having rice for dinner every day, and watching Huan Zhu Ge Ge on the TV. My hobbies are writing, messing with photos on Adobe Photoshop, eating food late at night, and finding new indie bands to listen to.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

This year, I have the honor of being one of the two executive directors for the ITASA 2011 East Coast Conference at Princeton University. The Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Student Association (ITASA) is a non-profit organization that provides avenues for young Taiwanese Americans to interact with each other and with their communities. Every year, there are three ITASA conferences on the east coast, Midwest, and west coasts of the United States. Last year, Princeton won the bid to bring the east coast conference to our school in January 2011, and we are so excited to make this conference amazing. As one of the executive directors, I oversee the logistics that is involved in bringing hundreds of students to Princeton for a weekend, as well as reaching out to the Taiwanese American community for workshops and speakers. I believe the annual ITASA conferences are one of the fundamental ways Taiwanese American college students can meet one another, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

This year’s ITASA conference will be the first in over a decade to be held at Princeton. After such a long time, I think it’s been hard to bring together the Taiwanese American community in the New Jersey area. My hope is that through the connections that we make in the surrounding area while we are planning and through the conference itself, the Princeton ITASA conference team can really make a difference in uniting students and community members to think about the Taiwanese American heritage.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I think what is the best, but sometimes most challenging, part of being a 2nd generation Taiwanese American is learning how to integrate the different cultures that you’ve been exposed to. Growing up in America, I’ve learned to appreciate what a different perspective the Taiwanese heritage gives me. I’ve also found that the times where I’ve been able to express who I am in the context of being Taiwanese American have been some of the best I’ve ever had.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

At the risk of sounding corny, my vision of the future is one where Taiwanese Americans have the confidence to follow the motto we chose for this year’s ITASA conference: taking it to the top. My dream is that we’ll be able to draw inspiration from each other and build on the work that we’ve been doing to make Taiwanese Americans a prominent group in the United States.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Keep up with updates for the ITASA 2011 East Coast Conference at Princeton University with Twitter, Facebook, or our website (we’re still revamping our website, but please contact me if you have any interest in supporting the conference!):

http://twitter.com/ITASA2011

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ITASA-2011-East-Coast-Conference-Taking-it-to-the-Top/122262954466141

http://eastcoast.itasa.org/

University of California, Irvine, CA

Who are you?

I am a sophomore at UC Irvine double majoring in English and Political Science. Born and raised in Torrance, CA, I am a second generation Taiwanese American who was brought up in a very Taiwanese household. Although my parents never really instilled the Taiwanese identity in me, they pushed me to never forget my native language and culture by speaking to me in Mandarin, teaching me the culture and traditions, and taking me to Taiwan every other summer vacation. I’m passionate about the food and traveling to Taiwan as often as I can afford to do so, and I enjoy speaking in Mandarin to my friends and watching Taiwanese dramas to continue to familiarize myself with the language. In my spare time, I love shopping, eating, watching movies, playing the piano, playing with my dog, going to the beach, trying new things, and hanging out with friends in general.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I can honestly say that joining the Taiwanese American Organization (TAO) at UCI and taking on an active role in it has been one of the highlights of my college career so far. Working together with others of the same interest and Taiwanese American background has allowed me to pursue my passions of spreading appreciation of my heritage, as well as providing a friendly environment where people of the same background (or who wish to learn about this culture) can interact and create new friendships while being exposed to Taiwan’s current events, history, and overall culture. In addition, I am happy to be a part of something that builds strong community among Taiwanese Americans. Through TAO, I have practiced and learned the importance of teamwork, organization, and responsibility. Besides patience and thoroughness, I have discovered that good communication among the team members produces an excellent product. Without cooperative teamwork, any club becomes disjointed. Without TAO, my college experience would be severely lacking, and I would not have this tight group of friends I can call family. This year, I am the Community Outreach Chair of TAO UCI, and TAO is where I truly feel that I have found my identity and friends for life.

In addition to TAO, I am also glad to be a part of ITASA National Board and a 2010 TACL Political Intern at Assemblymember Warren Furutani’s office. In TAO, I may only be able to make an impact on students at UCI, but involving myself with ITASA and TACL has and will allow me to reach out to a greater range of fellow students.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I love the idea of influencing peers in a positive way. Knowing that I stand for something and that I have the tools and knowledge to pass on to others makes me feel as if my life is worthwhile. By immersing myself into being an active part of the Taiwanese American community, I have met countless amazing people who stand as leaders in the community, whether it be former ITASA conference directors, or activists in the political world. Having these people as my role models allows me to reflect on myself and determine how I can be more of a positive influence and, in turn, be a role model for other people.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American, but I love Taiwan just as much as any first generation Taiwanese would. Most of my relatives still live in Taiwan, and every time I visit the country, they always make me feel at home (plus, knowing the language fluently doesn’t hurt!) I love everything about Taiwan – from the food, nightlife, and shopping to the squatting toilets (okay, maybe the squatting toilets are an exception). No matter what, I am proud of how the Taiwanese American community is such a tight-knit group and so strong in its sense of identity.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you’ve got to do is turn around and say, “Watch me.”

One day, TAO UCI will be the biggest, most successful organization on UCI campus. One day, at least five Taiwanese talents in the entertainment industry will win Oscars in one award sitting. One day, a Taiwanese woman will be sitting in Congress. One day, a Taiwanese doctor will find the cure to AIDS. One day, Taiwanese Americans everywhere can confidently assert their identity without fear of sparking controversy. One day, the entire world will know the deliciousness of Taiwanese food. One of these days…

Any additional information you would like to share?

Check it:
www.taouci.com
www.facebook.com/taouci
www.itasa.org
www.jayeeaych.tumblr.com

Alhambra High, Alhambra, CA

Who are you?

My name’s Kathleen, and I’m a senior at Alhambra High School. As of right now, I’m struggling through college applications just like every other high school senior, but hopefully I won’t be procrastinating too much! I’ve been involved with the Taiwanese American community ever since my freshman year when my friend introduced me to the Taiwanese American Citizens League Journalism Internship Program (TACL JIP). Through the last few years of being in the internship, I have learned so much about the Taiwanese American community that I never knew before. I was able to meet many inspirational Taiwanese American leaders who have definitely changed some of my views in life.

Outside of the Taiwanese American community, I’m pretty involved with extracurricular activities at school – Las Moras Service Club, Badminton, Kidshare (we help out and write to a kid named Ayanda in Africa), Christmas Committee (we hold fundraisers and donate all the money to charity during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season), and Film Society.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The Journalism Internship Program (JIP) basically speaks for itself. A group of high school students collaborate to create a newspage or youth forum explaining the Taiwanese American events that occur around the area; the youth forum is put into the Pacific Times newspaper and is published every month. The goal is to show that as part of the younger generation, we’re not out of the loop when it comes to knowing about the Taiwanese American community. We use the youth forum as a voice or lending hand to those who aren’t in touch with their Taiwanese heritage as other people are. I really hope that people do actually read the Pacific Times and flip to that one section that appears every month. It gives a sense of reassurance that teens really do know their stuff about the Taiwanese American community.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

From the start of my involvement in the Taiwanese American community until now, I think every single person I’ve met has been an inspiration to me. My JIP coordinators – Candice Hung, Emily Wu, and Hilda Lin – have graciously guided me through this journey in learning about the wonders of Taiwanese culture. Community leaders – HoChie Tsai, Erica Ling, and many others – have shaped my views of society in a different way. They have motivated me to make an impact on the younger generation on how the Taiwanese American community is so important.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I hope that Taiwanese Americans won’t be overlooked and being Taiwanese won’t be confused with being Chinese. I have high hopes that Taiwanese American media will go mainstream. And surely that Taiwan will be recognized for being Taiwan and not something else.

West Bloomfield High School, West Bloomfield, MI

Who are you?

I am a student in my senior year at West Bloomfield High School. I am looking forward to college next year but I try to stay focused on the present.  I have two loving parents and a little brother. My dad came from Malaysia, but his dad came from China. My mom came from Taiwan, but her dad came from China. That makes me a second generation Taiwanese/Malaysian American with Chinese ancestry. I enjoy playing all sports, especially soccer. I am always listening to music. I listen to all types of music as long as it’s not country. I love to learn about other people and their distinct cultures and ethnicities. I am constantly changing and the things around me are constantly changing. I’m trying to keep up with the ever-changing society. I’m trying to figure out who I am too.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

National Honor Society at West Bloomfield High School is a club that admits students that are academically sound, active outside of school and are willing to help the community. As a part of National Honor Society, each student must maintain a high GPA and do 15 hours of community service. Our goal is to set up functions like fundraisers and community service opportunities to donate to charities and help our community.

As Vice President, my role is to work together with the President and the rest of the executive board to set up the functions and admit students that are qualified to be a part of NHS. Direction from the executive board is necessary for our club to run successfully. Part of my role is to make sure everything is run smoothly through good communication and leadership.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My inspiration and motivation as a student leader came from my experiences as a student at West Bloomfield High School and from my experiences at the Taiwanese American Foundation (TAF).

My own experiences have taught me that most people will not actively seek to help the community and need some sort of push and reason for serving the community. I wanted to be a part of the push to motivate my fellow students to help our community.

My experiences at Taiwanese American Foundation have taught me a lot throughout the years that I have attended the summer conference. I have been taught the skills necessary to make an impact on my community. I have learned about leadership, communication, identity, ethics & values and more important life skills. I felt motivated to apply the life skills that I learned from TAF.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am a second generation Taiwanese/Malaysian American. Being of Taiwanese heritage has been very influential in my life because that is half of my background. My mom’s side of the family all live in Taiwan. Visiting Taiwan allows me to learn more about myself and my background. I visit Taiwan only once every few years but every time I do go back, I always feel at home.
Each person has his/her own unique background and learning about it is essential if you ever want to achieve self-understanding. One of the few things that you know will never change is your heritage. For these reasons, it is important for me to embrace my Taiwanese heritage and be proud of it.

Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA

Who are you?

Adjectives that describe me: Quirky. I drink water from empty Prego tomato sauce jars, because it’s environmentally-friendly, it’s fun, and it works just fine. I am a Star Trekkie and an avid Lord of the Rings fan. I make killer brownies. Playing volleyball helps me meditate and de-stress. I also don’t mind speaking out for what I believe in. Creative. I enjoy expressing my thoughts in written words and in my music, finding unique approaches to tackling an obstacle, and designing outfits. Ambitious. My goals for life go something along the lines of creating a cure for arthritis, helping end the crisis in Darfur, writing a twi-potter-pirates novel, becoming the next Yo-Yo Hsu, swimming with dolphins, making the perfect peanut-butter-and-nutella sandwich, and learning to love every moment of my existence. Oh yes. World, be prepared.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

At the beginning, my team was just a handful of mismatched puzzle pieces thrown together. We hadn’t “known” one another beforehand, and barely knew each other. Then hour after hour of slaving away in a dusty garage, sharing stale almond cookies, painting backdrops, hot-gluing (too often were fingers burnt in the process), brainstorming, singing Disney songs, and learning from each other brought us together.

As I began to put more and more time into Odyssey of the Mind, I became consumed by it, focused, always thinking of a new way to improve our skit or costumes, planning meetings, deciding what was and wasn’t necessary. Without my noticing, I found something that sparked my interest and motivated a level of commitment from me that nothing ever had before. Odyssey of the Mind, and my team, grew on me; I was no longer just Karen, but Karen, the mini-coach. I cared about my team. I was proud, protective, and thrilled to be part of it.

As we wove the strands of our solution, each of us also became inexplicably intertwined into the tapestry of our group. Shaving off a piece here, mending a corner there – it wasn’t just an act of working on the props, but also on the people. Placed together, the edges of the puzzle pieces – our personalities and habits – began to rub against each other, bending, adjusting, and changing to fit one another; until, united, we gleamed as one completed puzzle and as one team.

So, yes, last year we placed first in the Regional Tournament, we were State Champions, we ranked eighth in World Finals, but what I will remember the most is how we grew as a team, and how I learned to organize and, more importantly, to lead when no others stand forth to do so.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

Start. Procrastination is a common reaction to feeling overwhelmed or fear of failure. Instead of taking on too much at once and overwhelming yourself, break things down and take one small action step at a time. Understand yourself. You have to know who you are and what you want before you can lead anyone to victory. Things to do when you’re upset. Turn up music you really love. Play it so loudly that it soaks in through your skin. Dance in your pajamas. Feel the pain lift. Learn about genocides that are happening right now, all around the globe. Be aware. Get involved. Know how, truly, lucky you are. Play volleyball. Let the bruises on your arms and hands wash away the pain of the bruise on your heart. Because life is like an overhand serve. It can be scary as heck, but, eventually, you have to look it straight in the face, believe you can take anything that comes your way, and say, “bring it on.” Believe in yourself, and the tough part is already half over. Write. Express your thoughts. Rant. Muse. Create. Let your feelings, no matter if they are ugly or beautiful, flow out. Don’t be afraid to dream a little bigger. Life, with all its ups and downs, is defined by the chances you take.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Every culture has their own traditions – French people eat French foods, Native Americans sing Native American songs, and Indians wear their traditional Indian clothing. But culture is not limited to how you dress or what you eat or what holidays you celebrate; it also influences how you think and how you view the world and the people around you. The rules that you uphold, the ideals that you believe in – many are put in place simply because of what your culture supports. Where America tends to stress the importance of individuality and self-reliance, the Asian culture emphasizes honor in family and obedience. Where Americans believe in freedom of speech, we believe in the eloquence of silence. Where others believe in hosting elaborate dinner parties, we believe in sitting around a table with a few old friends, dining off of paper plates. Where others believe in doing their best, we believe in accomplishing more than our best. Where some may think it selfish to take more than five ketchup packets from the local Jack-in-the-Box, we see it as merely economical. You see the world through the eyes of your culture, and so your culture makes you who you are. Of course, there is no definite “right”, no distinctly “correct” culture or way of life, and no person who is able to determine which culture is more worthy than any other. This is solely because each and every culture, heritage, and country deserves to be recognized in their own right as a defined existence and a precious part of history. Taiwan deserves this. We Taiwanese are a separate people, no matter how small our numbers, and we ought to be documented as so. Just as how Americans would be outraged if they were recorded as British, we feel likewise – we are our own people, our own country, and we fought to be who we are today. There is no way that we will settle for just “Asian” when what we truly are, and will forever be, is “Taiwanese”.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Check out Odyssey of the Mind! http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/

Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Who are you?

I was born in Taipei and I lived in Chia-Yi until I was five. I then lived in Stony Brook, NY (the land of not many Taiwanese people) until I came to Stanford (the land of very many Taiwanese people), and I still visit Taiwan often. I sincerely hope to bring others into the folds of Taiwanese culture because it is so rich and amazing. I am an aspiring physician, a senior at Stanford, and I love pearl milk tea. I grew up playing the violin and piano, and I would read as many as three novels a day (I was obsessed). I may sound like your average Taiwanese American, but I hope to prove that even the average Taiwanese American can be unique.

My road to the person I am today didn’t come without struggle. Not struggles against hardships (while there were some, I consider myself lucky) but rather against tradition. I never really liked being the average Taiwanese American, and wanted to break free of the seeming mediocrity. I denied wanting to be a doctor and sought the farthest possible career path (the best I could come up with was science research), but in the end, as you see, there was no running away from the draw of medicine.

Future career aside, I have plenty of interests that set me apart! My favorite artist is Jay Chou, and I have a small – very small – crazed obsession with K-pop. I spend hours each day… studying and working to tell the truth, but I place sleep near the top of my priority list (I get my seven hours a night, from 12-7 AM – the fact that I am up at 12:23 AM writing this I hope shows my love for Taiwan).

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I am President of the Stanford Premedical Assocation (SPA). SPA is a group of premedical students providing every single resource a premedical student could possibly want or need, and having a lot of contacts for other organizations in case we happen to miss something. We bring physicians to campus, students to physician’s homes (and pay for everyone’s dinner), residents away from the operating room (for panels and workshops), and pre-meds to the operating room (not as patients).

I am also the External Liaison for the Taiwanese Cultural Society (TCS). Through food, through panels, and through movies, we aim to spread our frontier past Stanford and even the Bay Area. Some of our recent events include having Will Tiao, the producer of Formosa Betrayed, come give a talk, as well as our annual Night Market that showcases all of Stanford’s Asian culture groups.

My extracurriculars reflect my interests broadly, and being active as a member and leader allows me to share these interests with others. Saying I am part of SPA or TCS gives me a way to show others who I am in a short summary. It helps also to keep my non-academic side alive in the face of problem sets and exams.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

So in the beginning, I decided to be the leader because I had a little bit of a control freak in me and I didn’t quite like how things were running in (enter name here) organization. I proceeded to plot my take-over of every club I belonged to. I got too busy in the middle of the execution to carry out the full plan, but I made some good progress.

But now that I have become a leader, I have discovered the benefits of allowing everyone involved take their own little portion of control. It seems that other people are control freaks as well, and simply cannot be motivated to do their jobs unless they have some autonomy. Plus, it makes work easier. So I recommend the delegation of work to reliable individuals in your group (key word is reliable – Stanford students are unbelievably unreliable around midterms, which is every week after the third week). On that note, schedule most events at the beginning of the quarter (or semester) unless you have a nice, regular exam schedule that you can plan around.

And have fun! I am advising myself as I write this, but extracurricular groups are a great way to burn off a few IQ points and stress wrinkles. Those late night boba runs I never participate in because I need to sleep by midnight are really wonderful for refueling. Even in a crowd of premeds, you find that commiseration invites not only complaints but also new buddies.

Finally, if you’re not a student leader yet – it is really worth all the work. In the end, you get this great sense of pride and ownership over a project or organization, and hopefully you’ve done a few people some real good. I highly recommend it.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I hope to see the future of Taiwanese America be the most awesome cultural community in the U.S.! I know that is very specific.

Really, I hope to see other Taiwanese Americans find their truth in life – true friends, true family, true culture, and even true (does this fit?) career. I know that when people think of “dream careers,” they like thinking of artistic professions. Actors, singers, dancers, and entertainers are great! But I know there are many out there who might be going through what I went through – thinking really far out of the box and taking a long time to figure out they actually do want to be doctors or engineers. And really, we need more doctors and engineers in this world, so you’re certainly not doing any harm going down that path if it’s your dream.

So yes, I’d like to see Taiwanese America as a massive group of physicians and engineers speckled with some artists here and there. Then, by adopting other people (because I hear the birth rate in Taiwan is the lowest in the world – not sure if Taiwanese Americans are doing much better), we can incorporate millions of others and become a superpower culture. I’m joking, but that would be very funny.

Any additional information you would like to share?

My favorite Taiwanese food is o7-a2 chian1 (I hope I spelled that right). It’s just not made the same way in the U.S., unfortunately.

My favorite drink is actually not strictly pearl milk tea (I secretly do not like the little boba balls) – it’s actually lemon honey green tea with ai2-yu2 jelly. In Taiwan I like the similar shaved ice with lemon juice and ai2-yu2. I can’t tell you if there’s a proper name for that, but it’s delicious.

Links to my organizations
Stanford Taiwanese Cultural Society: http://taiwanese.stanford.edu
Stanford Premedical Association: http://premed.stanford.edu
Stanford Immersion in Medicine Series: http://sims.stanford.edu
Pacific Free Clinic: http://pacific.stanford.edu

UC San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego

Who are you?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American who has become the unexpected politically liberal product of a socially and fiscally conservative family. Everything about my life can be traced back to my relationship with my mother. I am as rational as my mother is irrational. I am as tolerant as my mother is intolerant. I am as skeptical as my mother is judgemental. I am as temperate as my mother is impulsive. And I am as doubtful as my mother is pious. As a Taiwanese American, my struggle is not only with the generation gap, but also with the East-West cultural gap.  My search is for a happy compromise between the Western conception of “the good life” and the Eastern-Asian conception of “the successful life”; between my civic and individual duty as an American, and my familial obligations as an Asian person.

I am approaching the end of my undergraduate chapter as a Philosophy major at UCSD, and I can safely say that I could not have had a more fulfilling few years of my life. And understanding why my college years have been so formative requires understanding how I was brought up. To know who I am is to know where I have been. My upbringing has not been so different from that of any other Taiwanese American in my generation, but it is the juxtaposition with the person I have become that makes my story interesting. I am strongly opposed to full assimilation into any culture and am adamant in my belief that preservation is necessary and progress is inevitable. What defines society at all points in time is the struggle between the two. And I am in love with the struggle.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

There were two parts to my involvement in the campaign to elect Barack Obama as president. The first was co-founding UCSD Students for Barack Obama and serving as Vice President and Outreach Coordinator (the chapter was no more than 10 people at the start). Our objective was to inform students at UCSD about the young black senator. This proved to be a formidable challenge, as UCSD has been known to be politically apathetic and socially unaware. We gained some momentum just as the school year, so I went back home and did some work with local campaign organizations. That summer, I scored an interview with the California leaders of Obama for America. I received the position of Regional Coordinator for San Diego/Inland Empire, which included about eight college chapters across southern California. I held weekly conference calls and continued working closely with the UCSD chapter, which a close friend of mine took over. We had students sign “pledge cards”, mobilized an average of 70 voters at every campus every week, and collected contact information to make sure voters came out for the primary and general election. At meetings we would not only brainstorm campaign strategies, but we would also share stories of how so many of us, who were never politically active, came to volunteer for the Obama campaign. We also organized “Drive for Change” events where students could do trips to Nevada to canvass and inform voters. The most gratifying part of my experience was finding and bringing together different people from all walks of life.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

Barack Obama circa 2004 in his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMNIofUw2I ; watch the entire speech!). His sincere words and simple message served a unifying purpose that could resonate across all ages and creeds. All it takes is a good heart, a genuine concern, and an education. Leadership cannot be forced. Leadership is inspired. My advice to future students leader is to venture outside of your comfort zone, READ everything you can get your hands out, find something you are passionate about, and find someone who shares your passion. It’s all organization and logistics from there. But you can’t get there without passion.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

Our organization has since dissolved, but a number of students on each chapter’s leadership team went on to take leadership roles in College Democrats and CALPIRG, and ACLU. My hope is that student organizations will continue to inform students about how politics is directly tied into our daily lives and encourage them to find a reason, ANY reason, to become involved in the community.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

My Taiwanese heritage and upbringing makes it so that my worldview is not so narrowly defined. Each of our brains is governed by a conceptual framework that develops well into our mid-20s, and this framework is to a large extent influenced by social and cultural factors. What makes me proud is that the tension between my Taiwanese heritage and my American upbringing compels me to think for myself and find my own happiness, one that is not mono-culturally defined. There are so many parts of Taiwanese culture that I have yet to explore.  There is an entire other dimension of my life that is slowly revealing itself to me.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Informed. No more willful ignorance and political resignation.  We have a moral obligation to do our part. My mother always told me, 這世界是殘酷得， 你該勇敢一點， 聰明一點.  And part of having courage (勇氣) is standing up for what’s right, even in the face of fear. We have to contribute to society, earn our respect, and demand the best of each other. Taiwanese America can help paint a better image of Asian America, one that is not a racially triangulated.

Any additional information you would like to share?

My responses to the previous questions have probably given the impression of a solemn, cynical, and highly opinionated Aileen Huang, which is somewhat accurate, but a 10-minute conversation with me would have anyone thinking otherwise. If you are curious about what occupies most of my working mind, these might help:

http://twitter.com/aileen_dover
http://aileensadventures.tumblr.com/
http://aileensadventures.wordpress.com/

Cheers to social media!

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

Who are you?

I am a senior in broadcast journalism at the U of I. I was bitten by the entertainment bug my freshman year in college and decided I wanted to be a singer. After a short stint in Taiwan and two songs released on kkbox, I believe I have a much more realistic view of what I can and cannot do as a musician.

I currently intern at WICD ABC Newschannel 15, Illini Productions, and Palestra.net/UWire. In a strange twist of fate, two of the three places I work at deal with sports. I knew nothing about sports until I began the jobs. Now, I’m one of those crazy people who scream at the T.V., thinking that it will actually change the outcome of the game.

I hope that in the future, I will have spare time to do some music gigs while working as a journalist. But for the time being, I am relieved that – as much as I adore her – I will not be like Robin from “How I Met Your Mother.” You know, with that blackmail-worthy music video floating around.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The Taiwanese American Students Club at the U of I is a vibrant group that strives to build a family-like community that understands Taiwanese culture and appreciates Taiwanese American and Asian American identity. TASC gives students opportunities to learn about the needs and problems of the APA community while molding leaders out of these students to address those concerns.

As VP-External, I serve as the external liaison for the organization and maintain active relations with the APA community. I also oversee the Cultural Advocacy chairs.

More importantly, my position as VP-External allows me to witness all the blood, sweat and tears the board members put in to running TASC. I see their desire to make the events enjoyable for participants. I see their creativity come alive with each new idea to help better this organization. I see the pride they have in their identity and their eagerness to share that pride.

My experience with other student organizations has shown me that TASC is exemplary in its ability to produce fun and informative events, handle internal programming and instill passion in its members.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

TASC board is where I draw my inspiration and motivation to be a student leader. It’s incredible how one person can make such an impact in the board itself – to imagine that one person’s impact in the community! I am blessed to be able to participate in TASC and share what abilities I have in making this organization the best it can be.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I hope to see TASC not just flourish individually, but alongside of the rest of the APA community. I hope that this organization continues its long legacy of producing leaders who persevere to understand the Taiwanese and Taiwanese American identity.

Any additional information you would like to share?

My blog! mootastrophe.wordpress.com

Bellaire High School, Houston, TX

Who are you?

My name is Alyce Chu and I’m a second generation Taiwanese American from Houston, Texas. I am currently a senior at Bellaire High School. In my spare time, I like to relax and just listen to music, draw, read a good book, or hang out with my friends. I also love to sing; sometimes my friends and I make covers of songs for fun. I have an awesome family network here in Houston as well as the greatest group of friends who have helped to shape me who I am today. I am the 2009-2010 president of the Houston Taiwanese Youth Society (TYS) and the current the vice president of Bellaire High School’s Bellaire International Student Association (BISA). I love both clubs dearly, and have put much effort and time into both over the years; BISA for the past three years and going on the fourth, and TYS for the past seven years, going on the eighth.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Outside of school, I first volunteered with TYS sometime in elementary school because of my cousin. But by middle school, I became a passionate member of the organization, diligently going to every meeting and event. By eighth grade, I nabbed my first officer’s position, and by junior year I became president.

The objective of TYS is to promote community and culture, and to also serve as a network for local Taiwanese Americans. We volunteer in the Taiwanese community, host events for the children in the Taiwanese community, attend Taiwanese cultural events, and also hold a few social gatherings throughout the year for our organization to just have fun, including Rockets games and a Schlitterbahn Galveston trip. Our organization is really small, no more than twenty members, but because of this, we’re a close group. In fact, most of us have known each other for most of our lives! As we grow up together, our pride as Taiwanese Americans grows together too. We support each other not only as club members, but also as close friends. As we share club duties and happy memories, the bonds we share with each other through TYS grow strong, as does our pride for our Taiwanese heritage.

BISA’s mission is to help promote cultural diversity. Our largest project is the school’s international festival, where we coordinate around fifteen clubs for the event. I had originally joined BISA my freshman year on a whim. I soon discovered, though, that the club was a tightly knit community of friends, making the club a really pleasant organization to be a part of. And so I stuck with the club, gradually helping out more and more as the years passed by, culminating in my vice presidency of BISA, working side by side with my two friends, this year’s co-presidents.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I find my inspiration and motivation in the joy and passion I feel, and others feel, for the cause. If I don’t feel anything from myself or others for the cause or club, I can’t put my heart and soul into the work. The 2009-2010 year for TYS was regarded by many adults in our Taiwanese community as the greatest year TYS ever had, giving me all the credit, as president of TYS at the time. But the true reason for the successful year was that the people in our organization fed off of each other’s enthusiasm; I merely helped direct it into productive work. Though I have a great passion for our Taiwanese heritage and TYS, my passion alone couldn’t have carried TYS through the year; it was only with the others’ enthusiasm that we pulled through and ended the year well.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am proud to be of Taiwanese heritage for a huge number of reasons, including our unique culture, great food, and extremely successful music and entertainment industry. Most importantly, though, I’m proud of the way we are raised to respect people, especially those close to us. The values instilled within us because of our Taiwanese upbringing is also unique and wonderful – be humble, kind, selfless, honest, and so on. Too few people today practice such values, taking them to be elements of weakness. But such values are signs of strength, the strength to not have to assert oneself in such an arrogant way just to feel confident, the strength to rely on one’s own skills and accept the limits of one’s capabilities. It’s these values and our upbringing that makes me proud to be of Taiwanese heritage.

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I am a 1.5 Generation Taiwanese-Chinese American. I was born in Taiwan and moved here to the states with my parents when I was 8. I love reading the news and just being aware of the international community, something that our country and the people within have constantly put off. My passion lies in connecting people on a personal basis and to look beyond stereotypes and ideas our society has instilled in us.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I am currently involved with Berkeley Taiwanese American Students Association (TASA), Strait Talk Berkeley, ITASA West Coast Conference, East Asian Union, and Delta Phi Epsilon. As the External VP for Berkeley TASA, I (along with my cabinet!) have been trying to increase our ties with other campus student groups such as CSA, TSA, HKSA, and other groups. In the process of expanding and growing in Berkeley, we hope to present more of what and who we are as Taiwanese Americans. Strait Talk Berkeley strives to bridge the bounds of the people of Taiwan, China, and the United States. Its emphatic approach to conflict resolution, through the help of the Interactive Conflict Resolution, has inspired me and hundreds of delegates and organizers. While remembering our past and present, we must focus on the future towards a more peaceful and dynamic relations across the Taiwan Strait.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I’m not going to lie, I’m a workaholic. To me, school work is minute compared to the things I have to do for various organizations and clubs. Without something to organize or plan, I feel listless and bored. Though at times, through the process, I may talk about how busy life is, the truth is, I like it. I enjoy having to worry about the Dumpling Night in four days, or how to raise enough money for a cross-strait symposium in the Spring. This constant sense of pressure drives both my extracurriculars and academics. Berkeley and the people of Berkeley have inspired me greatly. Just seeing other students, both within and outside the Taiwanese American community, drive me and my work. I strive to be as good as those before me, and perhaps even going beyond them. My cabinet, execs, and other team members inspire me to do better and to do more. What I do now has totally shaped my views for tomorrow. My activities are all for my own passion and interests, and thus, non-profits are the way to go!

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

For all my organizations, I want to bridge different people of different societies and draw them closer to each other. Often times, we have stereotypes of different people groups or individuals, but I wish to break down these pre-constructed ideas and encourage individuals to know each other on a personal basis. Our past, and the pasts of our ancestors indeed shape who we are today… however, we are the ones who shape the identity and beliefs of our present generation. In a more globalized world, not only economically and politically, but socially as well, we come into contact with people from the four corners of the globe. The media today, along with campaign ads, tell us to think one way. However, we must be able to discern the truth and the lies, and find for ourselves the humanity within each individual and the collective potential for a better tomorrow.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I see myself as 1.5 generation. I adopt both the culture of Taiwan and the culture of the United States. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents fled China after Chiang Kai-shek lost the Chinese Civil War. Though my maternal grandparents already have business in Taipei, their ultimate emigration was due to the War. In Taiwan, they found solace and it was in that society they raised their children, my parents. When we look beyond the giants of different eras, we are able to see the pains and suffering of the common people, in any area of the world. I am proud of my grandparents and their struggle with the tides of time. Uprooted from their society and hometown, and ripped apart from their family for decades, they managed to become who they were and raised my parents to become who they are in the process. I am also proud of my parents who witnessed the rise of Taiwan in economic strength during the post-WWII era. For me, I welcome my Chinese cultural background, Taiwanese national background (I am still a citizen of ROC, Taiwan), and my American development.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I hope to see a more cohesive, tolerant, and vibrant Taiwanese America. It must be known that there are pockets of Taiwanese America that often do not speak up, by they do exist. In any society, we will find people with different opinions and ideas. Sometimes their ideals may clash with our own. However, as American citizens who highly value freedom, democracy, and liberal rights, they must be given the opportunity and stage to voice their own thoughts and mind. We must be aware of these realities, for ignorance does not bring bliss, but chaos.

Any additional information you would like to share?

ITASA West Coast Conference is in UC Berkeley this year! As Fundraising Chair, I implore everyone to contribute toward our conference. Contact me at ironchokolate@gmail.com for more info! Additionally, Strait Talk Berkeley will be seeking applicants for Taiwan delegates and US delegates very soon! So be on the lookout at straittalk.org!

U Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I am Annie Tung: an only child who is self-guided; a seasonal vagabond without means; an autodidact in liberal arts; a hypocrite of social media; a believer in retail therapy; a fanatic of British accents; and occasionally, a womyn who strives. I was born in Taichung, Taiwan but consider myself a Southern California native. Some of my life goals include: hiking up Half Dome, discovering the world’s best gelato flavors, and learning how to speak fluent Taiwanese.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

On campus, I am affiliated with the Asian American Association, the Asian Pacific American Coalition, the Asian Pacific Islander Issues Conference, the International Justice Mission, and the ITASA West Coast Conference for 2011. While my primary focus for the present year is the latter three, I continue to serve in various capacities for these student organizations. Specifically, my roles are Finance Chair, Outreach Director, and Housing & Registration Chair, but I see myself more simply as a student leader working within and between groups and individuals in the APA community. In broad terms, the organizations I am involved with all aim to engage community members on their own identity development and raise awareness for community causes–but they pursue these ideas in different ways and thereby diffuse distinct impact. In a nutshell, I am able to reach out to APA students on campus and across the Bay Area just by being a proactive student!

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

Essentially, I am motivated to blaze my own trail and benefit society in a qualitative way. I enjoy intellectual discussions that engender a sense of obligation within me to help the world become a better place, and I frequently dialogue with those who are in the process of becoming the next movers and shakers of this planet. I am not afraid to take risks, ask challenging questions, and be honest with the people around me. More importantly, I am inspired to lead because I stand on the shoulders of pioneers who have sought after the well-being I take comfort in today. While I am optimistic about the future, I am also fairly pragmatic about the present – yet there is never any waking moment when I feel indifferent.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

My vision is fundamentally based on creating communities and building coalitions that are healthy, dynamic, and open to new ideas. I also strive to construct safe spaces where people can expressively learn from similar and dissimilar peers from different backgrounds and walks of life. Naturally, an extension of this notion is the development of proactive, community-oriented leaders who understand how to effectively listen, empower, and guide those around them. Society at large lacks these progressive personalities, but they are slowly entering the broader community one individual at a time.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I identify as 1st generation Taiwanese American, although I immigrated before I was one years old. I basically left my heart in the rural countryside of Central Taiwan where my great-grandmother acquired her sun-kissed wrinkles and her proud gray hairs. I feel proud to say I am her kin because I have internalized many of her struggles and triumphs as my own. Above all, I believe that it is important to preserve both historic and personal meaning of my family’s story, which is deeply immersed in Taiwanese heritage.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

The future of Taiwanese America will uphold the Taiwanese spirit, the very essence that makes Taiwan special, which is more than just people, food, and places. It is a vivid experience, and a timeless energy that emanates from passionate hearts, which desire to see the world become a better place. I sincerely believe that it is this enthusiasm that will attract people to the little island with big values and a meaningful voice.

Any additional information you would like to share?

If you’re on the West Coast, come check out ITASA at Cal in spring 2011! You can find more information at http://itasa.org.

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Who are you?

I am currently a junior at Northwestern University majoring in psychology and legal studies with a minor in international studies. I am originally from Chicago, Illinois, and love exploring the city by getting off at random stops on the L and seeing what I find. Outside of the Residential College Board, I am treasurer for the Model United Nations club and the Undergraduate Psychology Association, historian for the Chi Omega sorority, and I conduct cognitive psychology research here at Northwestern. But the thing I look forward to the most is participating in Northwestern’s annual Dance Marathon where we raise money for charity and then dance for thirty hours straight!

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The Residential College Board (RCB) is an umbrella organization that hosts events for all the students living in residential colleges at Northwestern. There are eleven residential colleges on Northwestern’s campus, all aimed at fostering communities through providing social, academic, and philanthropic events.  I lived in the International Studies Residential College my freshman year and was president my sophomore year. I immediately felt drawn into a community where I felt I could be myself and I always looked forward to events like international movie nights and dorm outings to do things like play paintball or eat all-you-can-eat sushi.

As president of RCB, I want to help oversee and hold events that bring these smaller dorm communities together and promote unity within the residential college system. These events vary from the conventional (such as formals and food outings) to the unexpected (such as human foosball and quidditch). At a school where there are over eight thousand students, it is easy to start feeling overwhelmed. I hope that RCB can help students (especially freshmen) feel as if they are part of a supportive community at Northwestern.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My experience at the summer camp, Taiwanese American Foundation (TAF), helped me shape who I am as both a person and a leader. Back in 2001 when I first attended the camp, I was shy to the point where my mom would always compare me to the caboose of a train. But through providing me with a caring and close community, the camp taught me how to have confidence in what I believed in and let my opinions be heard.

The confidence I gained from going to TAF pushed me to take two leadership roles in Taiwan in the summers of 2007 and 2008. In 2007, I was an English teacher in Taitung, Taiwan, as part of the Assisting Individuals with Disadvantages program.  Being part of the program really helped me develop my communication skills and taught me that as a leader, you can expect to learn a lot of things from the people you are leading. In 2008, I interned at Far Eastern International Bank in Taipei, Taiwan.  One of my jobs while working there was to help coordinate a summer program for college students.  Being part of that process developed my belief that in addition to looking at the broad scope of an event, you also have to concentrate on the smaller details to make sure little things do not fall through the cracks.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I hope that in the future, Taiwanese Americans will be viewed as a united and influential group that has a unique voice that deserves to be heard.  In my vision, there will be Taiwanese American leaders in every major field of study and they will inspire future generations to continue being proud of their heritage.

University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Who are you?

I am Kelly Shih, a sophomore majoring in Government & Politics and International Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. I am a proud second generation Taiwanese American. My mom and dad are a purchasing manager and computer engineer, respectively, and obsessive gardeners, collectively. My older sister and dad both attended Maryland also, so we are a proud Terp family! I love eating, singing, sharks, airplanes, and Snyder’s Honey Mustard and Onion pretzels.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

As Co-Programming Chair for the Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA) at Maryland, I plan and execute the majority of events for our organization. TASA seeks to bring together the Taiwanese American community at our school, and well-planned events really showcase TASA’s purpose to the community. Events can be educational, social, or charity-related, but each one requires weeks or months of planning to be successful and memorable.

I am also on the Traditions and Programming Committee for our Student Government Association (SGA). Our committee takes care of event planning as well, but for the entire student body. These events include Crabfest, Homecoming, Haunted House, Spring Barbecue and more. The committee also seeks to perpetuate decades or centuries-old traditions at the University of Maryland. We also give presentations to freshman classes about university traditions to ensure that they carry on.

This summer I was a Political Intern at Senator Boxer’s office for the Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) and have taught English to kids in the Taiwanese countryside through the A.I.D. Program.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My inspiration to be a student leader comes from wanting to work with people and wanting my opinion not just to be heard, but implemented. The most direct way to affect the change you want, whether it be in national politics or your high school dance committee, is to be in a decision-making or decision-affecting position. I was involved in and assumed leadership roles in everything in high school, from class council to tennis to the school musical, because there was a certain way I wanted things to run, and the only way to ensure that is to take action. I also hate listening to people complain about things they could change if they made an effort. Be proactive, be efficient, and have fun doing it!

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I took a plane for the first time when I was nine months old to go back to Taiwan. My parents, who immigrated here in the mid-80′s for my dad’s graduate degree, made such an effort to take my sister and I back as often as possible and to make sure we loved it. I have to credit my parents with instilling such a sense of comfort with Taiwan in us. Because when you’re little, you don’t care about politics or pride, you care about how much you fun something is. So my sister and I loved everything about it – my huge family, the karaoke, night markets, my grandparent’s rice paddy, mopeds, papaya milk, constant games of Big 2. Then, as we got older, we began to understand the pride. The pride of being from a small but resilient and determined nation. Of being in the unique situation of having to explain your country of origin to others, to have a 30-second political synopsis prepared. Of appreciating small victories – a pitcher on the Yankees, a director winning an Oscar – to put our heritage on the American radar. Taiwan, to me, represents underdog strength, dynamic culture, culinary brilliance, urban excitement, rural austerity, and loving family. I love it, and there’s no where else I’d rather represent.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

It looks a little like Glee – where we will break stereotypes and assume more visible roles. And be dancing and singing while doing it! Well, at least I’ll be.

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I was born in Taiwan and grew up in Cupertino, CA. I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley. Aside from studying Economics, I dedicate all my remaining free time to the Taiwanese American Student Association and volunteering. I am spontaneous and love trying out new things, ranging from food to extreme sports. One word that never fails to catch my attention is the word “new.” And my personality prompts me to try many new things not only in life, but also as a person and as a leader.

I have been involved in UC Berkeley’s Taiwanese American Student Association for the past seven semesters. I started out as the cultural committee chair and was the president last year. Currently, I am the senior advisor and am super excited for what the new generation of TASA will bring to the community. My next big project is my role as the Director for the 2011 Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) West Coast Conference where I wish to continue making a difference in my local community and get people to care more about the Taiwanese American identity.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The first club I sought out when I arrived at the UC Berkeley campus was the Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA). My first impression was different from what I had expected. Even though everyone in the organization was amazing, I knew TASA was not at its full potential. TASA strives to promote unity and cooperation among Taiwanese Americans in the community by holding events that bring together people of all backgrounds and ideals united by a common cultural interest. However, this goal would be more easily achievable if more Taiwanese Americans were to know about us and join us in accomplishing this goal. Since that semester, I took on leadership roles that were available to me and learned as much as I could from the mentors around me. There are many amazing Taiwanese American leaders based in Berkeley, such as Ho Chie Tsai and Chris Chang, and they helped TASA become what it is today. In my junior year, I became the president and challenged my team to tasks that were never accomplished before. In one semester, we hosted over thirteen events, which included hosting a Charity Concert with Wong Fu from Taiwan for Morakot Typhoon, a Chinese Lunar New Year Banquet held jointly with Academy of Art at SF, and a Career Panel of Taiwanese American Professionals in the Bay Area to provide guidance to Taiwanese American students. None of this would have been possible without my amazing team and incredible mentors. With the resources available in Berkeley and a new generation of officers, I am confident that TASA will continue to thrive.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I believe passion is the most fundamental aspect of a leader. With all the responsibilities that a student juggles, without passion, it is hard to motivate yourself and to an even lesser extent, inspire others.

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Who are you?

I am a Taiwanese American entering my junior year at Northwestern University, just trying to make the most out of the quoted “best years of my life,” through singing, dancing, skiing and snowboarding, and eating all the great food that I can get my hands on. I was born in Ohio and have moved around to various places across the United States, but mainly grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where I lived for almost 12 years. I grew up with very few Asians, let alone Taiwanese, friends for most of my life, and have always appreciated the company of an extremely diverse community. However, the summer before my freshman year of college, I went back to Taiwan as part of the Assisting Individuals with Disabilities (teaching English to underprivileged children in Taiwan) program with hundreds of other Taiwanese Americans across the nation. That summer changed my entire perspective of my own heritage as well as the culture that surrounded me for two months. It was there that I found myself accompanied by other Taiwanese Americans for the first time, realizing how much we had in common and how similar our upbringing was, a theme that was never common among my other friends back home. It was in that summer that I was thrust into the busy streets of Taiwan left to explore the country that had only briefly passed through my life every couple of years as a child. Coming back, I realized how much I wanted to stay connected to my roots and how important it was to truly understand the depth of the history of the culture my family comes from. From then on, I looked for ways to get involved with the greater Taiwanese community wherever I was and have never regretted the decision to since.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The Taiwanese American Students Club (TASC) at Northwestern strives to promote Taiwanese culture through events and activities to the greater Northwestern community. Throughout the year we throw events, from “Taiwan Night Market” and “Karaoke Night” to our annual Chinese New Year Celebration show “Celebrasia,” to showcase aspects of Taiwanese culture that most Northwestern students simply have no idea about. We also bring in speakers during the winter and spring to perform or talk about their experiences as Taiwanese Americans in their fields. During my year as President, I focused on finding ways to encourage greater attendance at our events by students who typically would never find themselves talking about Taiwanese foods or listening to Taiwanese artists. I wanted to create a venue that was both fun and social without losing a real sense of culture. This upcoming year our group is striving to be more educational than it has been in the past and to really enlighten students about how important Taiwan is right now, not only to Taiwanese people, but to the world.

As the Public Relations director on ITASA National Board, my role is to increase the transparency of our resources and events, established to inspire the greater Taiwanese American community across the nation, through social media, such as Facebook and YouTube, and quarterly newsletters. My goal as director this year is to better connect not just local university groups to ITASA national, but to build connections between universities themselves across the states. Meeting and interacting with other Taiwanese Americans from other schools has always been an incredibly worthwhile and enjoyable experience for me and I want others to have the opportunity to do the same, especially through venues such as our regional conferences every year.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My greatest motivation and inspiration comes from my friends, my peers, and those who I get to work with day-to-day on projects and events that are important to all of us. Just hanging out with friends and meeting new people are my favorite two things to do, so combine that with a passionate interest and you’ve got gold. It’s incredibly humbling to see people working so hard to succeed and being just as committed as you are in getting things accomplished (though admittedly, hardly ever is your entire team going to be this way). And also, knowing that the finished product will be worth it all is enough to get me by even the most stressful and discouraging moments of student leading. I strongly believe that you need to experience the worst to have the best. The more hard work and stress that you put into something, the higher the payload of happiness upon completion.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

In terms of our TASC at Northwestern, I would like to see there come a point where, due to the events we’ve put on on campus, fewer and fewer people ask “Why is there both a Chinese student Association and a Taiwanese one?” and “Oh, you’re Taiwanese? Isn’t that the same thing as Chinese?” These are of course common questions experienced by most Taiwanese Americans, but to see their usage decrease would be a huge achievement. I would also like our group to reach out and connect to other Taiwanese communities within Chicago and eventually to the greater Midwest region. There are so many groups within this one city that hardly ever interact with each other, and it’s honestly such a shame. The ITASA Midwest conference comes by once a year, but I would love to see the Midwestern Taiwanese community come together more often than that even for the purpose of just being able seeing each other.

I also want all Taiwanese Americans, starting with our own campus, to actually know and understand the history and current events of Taiwan, things that a surprisingly few number of students actually know about.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

As a 2nd generation Taiwanese American, I have to say that for most of my life, being Taiwanese never seemed that special to me. However, in recent years I’ve come to realize that how I was brought up was the sole product of my parents’ Taiwanese heritage and couldn’t appreciate more the opportunities and experiences that I have had that have shaped my life. Beyond the scope of my personal life, it’s still astounding to see how such a tiny country (dwarfed by the giant Lake Michigan next to my school) has overcome so many obstacles to become the powerhouse of a country that it is now. While there lies an obvious amount of antagonism confronting the country now, it’s reassuring to know of the amount of strength within the people that have come from Taiwan that will continue to fight for its cause. Also, there is no question of doubt in my mind that Taiwanese food is the best in the world and I would never prefer to eat anything else.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I would love to see Taiwanese Americans finding success in any field they wish to pursue, from politics and business to mainstream media. I hope for Taiwanese Americans to be aware of their heritage and when confronted with the question “Why is Taiwan important?” to have a lot of their own words to say. And in the end, I want Taiwanese Americans to be successful because of who they are and the successes they achieve, for it not to be surprising to see Taiwanese Americans in mainstream media, and for it to no longer be worth noting that they are “Taiwanese Americans who succeeded,” but simply people who have done great things.

Any additional information you would like to share?

TASC at Northwestern: http://groups.northwestern.edu/tasc/

ITASA: http://itasa.org/wp/

Also, I REALLY like Taiwanese popcorn chicken. Almost to the point of addiction.

UC Irvine, Irvine, CA

Who are you?

I am a sophomore majoring in Environmental Studies at the University of California, Irvine. As a second generation Taiwanese American, I was born and raised in southern California despite the fact that my family moved around a lot. My parents are both Taiwanese, and I have always been interested in Taiwanese culture since I was little, even if I didn’t know a lot about it. I love Taiwanese culture and food, and continue to be fascinated when I learn more about Taiwan. I practice different types of art, such as drawing, making jewelry, sewing, web and graphic designing, because I believe that they are my source of expression. Last year, I was the webmaster for the ITASA 2010 West Coast Conference at UCSD, which became my first major commitment in the Taiwanese American community.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Although I’ve just begun my positions as Public Relations Co-Chair and Webmaster of the Taiwanese American Organization (TAO) at UC Irvine, I can’t wait to contribute the cultural lessons and memories through TAO. TAO gave me a chance to explore and learn more about my Taiwanese culture. Through events, TAO educates its members of Taiwanese culture, history, and current events. It also helps and provides opportunities for those who want to give back to the Taiwanese American community and to broaden their horizons. I avidly support TAO and its purpose and goals – it gave me a chance to learn and have fun, and now I want to help provide others with opportunities and and learning experiences.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am proud to be of Taiwanese heritage, even as a second generation Taiwanese American. Though I may not know everything about Taiwan, and my Taiwanese and Mandarin are not fluent, the passion and interest I have in my culture never dies and makes me proud to be of Taiwanese heritage. Every time I learn something about Taiwan, my pride and passion for Taiwan is renewed and strengthened. Taiwan may be small, but the tight-knit and strong community makes up for it!

Any additional information you would like to share?

Check out our website at http://www.taouci.com/

UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

Who are you?

I’m going to be a freshman at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In high school people call me Chenglo, my last name that rings as “Chain hang low”. Whatever my nickname is, I’ve grown to appreciate my roots of being an American born Taiwanese. Born in New Jersey in 1992 and raised in California, I understood the challenges of being a minority. Being the only girl with black hair and who carried dumplings for lunch, I went through the difficulties of finding balance.  Eventually I learned English, and found the beauty of expression. I took up choir at a young age, and volunteered to do singspiration at church. Art also became another hobby that took up much of my time. I enrolled in AP Art in high school, allowing me to branch my expertise in drawing. Soon I opened up art galleries and showcases at my church. Aside from drawing, I love collecting seashells and enjoy long beach walks. Seahorses are my favorite, tiffany’s blue is my color, and sushi never gets old. I enjoy swimming and cooking cupcakes. Sometimes I’m mistaken as a feminist, but I just believe that we must be heard.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Since I’m part of the first graduating class of my high school, I got many opportunities to be a leader. Making traditions was something I relished doing. I became president for my “Stand Up to Cancer” club that raised money for cancer organizations. My motive was to test my ability to be a role model. Although I didn’t gather a stable group of members, I gave it a shot.  I learned that even a little goes a long way. I’m also a member of SOLD project, an organization that educates people about sex trafficking in third world countries.  Sometimes I believe that we need to be followers to become successful leaders. I’ve joined volunteer clubs and camps that deepened my morals. I’ve been a dedicated member of TAYL (now known as TACL-LYF), a camp that taught me to not be ashamed of being Asian, but instead embrace the beauty of having a culture embedded in my blood. I’ve transitioned from being embarrassed about my heritage to becoming a Taiwanese American glistening with pride. Part of feeling “different” gave me that kick to find a new me.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I find it in my father, a man who has guided and supported me. At a young age my dad was a firm believer in having a voice in politics, especially Taiwanese poltics.

I get it from my peers, people who succeeded in showing me that you can’t wait for something to get better. I’d like to say thanks to my friend D who reminds me that it’s my fault if I’m not happy with the outcome, and I’m the one who should fix it.

Mother earth and Children who look up to me.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I want teenagers and future generations to have a dream. My grandma constantly asks me what my dream is, and still today I don’t really know. Then it occured to me that children of today forget to have dreams and goals for a better future. Instead we rely to much on technology. Imagination thrives in a shorter time frame.

Therefore my dream is to find my dream. I want a eco-friendly environment as well as a generation full of intellectual thinkers and freelance artists!

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I’m the second generation who likes stinky tofu and bah-zhang. Being an American to me doesn’t define me, but being Taiwanese gives me more of a definition of who I am. My ancestors came from Formosa, a beautiful island that held its own history, one very different from America. Since America is an amalgamation of different cultures, finding yourself gets lost. Being Taiwanese allowed me to realize that culture crafts a person.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Politically speaking Taiwan isn’t doing as well as I would’ve hoped for. I want Independence for Taiwan, because becoming part of the UN can be an uplifting boost. To me China and Taiwan are culturally different. I understand that some of our ancestors came from China, but Taiwan is one island with it’s own story to tell, not China’s.

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

Who are you?

I am currently the National Vice President for the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA). I grew up in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and am now a senior at Princeton University. At Princeton, I am a student in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. I have yet to make any solid plans for life after graduation; all I know is I want to be doing something that I enjoy. In addition to ITASA, Princeton TASA is really important to me; whenever we throw an event or just relax together I am guaranteed to have a good time! I am also involved with Princeton’s International Relations Council (IRC). Last spring, nine members of IRC and I were lucky enough to visit Taiwan for a week to attend WorldMUN in Taipei. It was wonderful to be able to show Taipei to my friends who had never been there before. In my spare time, I like to listen to music from Taiwan, Korea, and the United States. I also try to stay aware of current events by reading the BBC, Taipei Times, and various blogs and Twitter pages. I am a big fan of karaoke and am most thankful for my friends.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) is a national organization that provides resources for college students interested in Taiwanese culture. Through a variety of projects, ITASA helps college students find a voice, community, and identity. These projects include annual conferences and mixers to bring students together in a social setting, a newsletter to let other students know what their peers are up to, and a website with great resources.

As Vice President, I work with the rest of the ITASA National Board to implement our initiatives. In the past, I organized a mixer in New York City for students from the tri-state area as well as a concert outing to Connecticut to see Taiwanese band Mayday (五月天) perform. This year, I will be maintaining a blog on the new ITASA website that shares interesting information about Taiwan: music, politics, movies, nightlife, and more. I will also be helping the ITASA 2011 East Coast Conference team run a successful conference. And of course I will be at as many ITASA events as possible because they are always fun!

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I am motivated by fun and friends. I’ve found that initiatives (whether they entail holding a huge event or just showing up to a simple meeting) are most successful when they are fun and with friends. When I work with my friends I am having fun, and that makes projects infinitely easier to accomplish. To that end, while it’s of course necessary to tackle the more formal aspects of a job, it’s also essential that team members develop friendly relationships between one another. As a leader, I believe it’s important to facilitate that.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I hope that ITASA can continue to help people discover the various aspects of the Taiwanese American identity. I also hope ITASA can show Taiwanese Americans how fun Taiwan is. Some Taiwanese Americans see Taiwan only as a humid island where the grandparents tell them they’re getting too fat or they need to eat more. It definitely includes those aspects, but I also want to show that Taiwan is home to beautiful people, great music, and a great social scene.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. I am proud to be of Taiwanese heritage because Taiwanese Americans and Taiwanese people are positive people who care about one another. On New Years Eve 2008, Taipei 101 displayed the message “Love Taiwan.” On New Years Eve 2009, it displayed the message “Taiwan Up.”  Even when something awful happens, Taiwanese people stay together and stay positive. I am also proud that Jay Chou is from Taiwan because he is very talented.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I see all Taiwanese Americans, wherever they are, loving each other and loving Taiwan.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Please check out ITASA at http://www.itasa.org and please keep your eyes peeled for information about upcoming events!

Stony Brook University, South Setauket, NY

Who are you?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American. Currently I am a sophomore majoring in Marine Vertebrate Biology with a minor in Asian American Studies at Stony Brook University. I enjoy swimming, Facebooking, and embracing my Taiwanese heritage.  At home, I speak Taiwanese, something I have done for as long as I can remember. I always considered myself a Taiwanese American since I was young, always telling people that I’m Taiwanese and not Chinese. During the past few years, I became more passionate about my Taiwanese identity, especially after joining Taiwanese American Next Generation (TANG) in 2008.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I volunteer for the Taiwanese American Association of Long Island (TAALI) and I am serving as the Vice President of the Taiwanese Students Association (TSA) at Stony Brook University. I started helping out at TAALI during the summer of 2008 as a counselor at the first year of TAALI’s 5 day culture summer day camp.  Since then I have helped at many of TAALI’s events, setting up, translating, and making the occasional slideshow, and finished my third year as counselor at the culture camp. I started getting involved with the Taiwanese Students Association when I first started college, going to the general body meetings and volunteering at TSA’s main event of the year, the Night Market. Even though I wasn’t on the TSA board, I tried to promote more interaction between TSA and TAALI by inviting TSA to TAALI events and trying to get Taiwanese families in the local area to try to come to the TSA Night Market.  Slowly I became more recognized as a dedicated member as attendance at meetings decreased. I was able to be elected as Vice President of TSA.  As a student leader of TSA, I hope to get more people to come to TSA and to make the club interesting enough that people will continue to come to our events.  I think that being a 2nd generation Taiwanese American will help bring some new energy and a new perspective to TSA and TAALI.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I think that my inspiration as a student leader comes from watching my fellow Taiwanese Americans, such as the TANG staff and developers of TaiwaneseAmerican.org, do wonderful things and make great strides in the Taiwanese American community.  Watching these people working so hard both at the local and national level has motivated me to make a difference in my local community.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

My vision is a community of 1st and 2nd generation Taiwanese Americans made up from TAALI and TSA. I hope that the work I do for both TAALI and TSA will inspire other 2nd generation Taiwanese Americans in my community to embrace their Taiwanese American identity and help out in the community.  I also hope to see more interaction between the 1st and 2nd generations of my local community working together to promote both Taiwan and the Taiwanese American identity. I would like to, in particular, try and bring down the cultural barriers that separate 1st generation and 2nd generation college age students so that we can work together more easily in our community.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I’m proud to belong to a culture with a such a diverse background.  Taiwanese culture has been influenced by many other cultures to create its own unique blend. It has stood against so many obstacles and still remains strong. I think that this influence of other cultures makes us as Taiwanese more tolerant of other ideas because our own culture is also changed in some way. Embracing my Taiwanese heritage has helped shape my identity and how people see me.  Taiwanese are known as dedicated, hard working, and friendly people, and I hope that people will be able to view me the same way.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

For me, the future of Taiwanese America is an actual chapter in my Asian American studies textbook and not a sentence or two spoken in a semester of lectures. I want people to be able to see that the Taiwanese and Chinese are two different groups, and I hope people can look at our unique community and appreciate all that we have accomplished. I also hope that 2nd generation Taiwanese Americans can be more involved and not forget their Taiwanese heritage.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Alongside being VP of TSA, I also serve as secretary of Tzu Chi Stony Brook Collegiate Association and I love bubble tea!

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Who are you?

I am currently a junior at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, double majoring in Political Science and Psychology, and minoring in Applied Statistics. The odd spelling of my name actually came from an episode of Jeopardy (what can I say? My dad hoped the connection would boost my IQ). Because I was born and raised in Michigan, I’m used to the mind-numbingly cold winters, and sometimes if I’m feeling crazy enough, I even wear flip flops when there’s a foot of snow on the ground. Although I was born in the states, I get a deep feeling of homesickness whenever I leave Taiwan, and thus visit as often as possible. My passions are family, friends, dogs, and music; I believe that as long as I have those four things in my life, everything else will fall into place. In my spare time, I like to write music, bake cheesecakes, and play with my dog, Cherry.

Comparable to Willy Wonka’s Gobstoppers, my ebullience is everlasting. I may not know how to charm a boy with my nonsensical idiom explanations, animated facial expressions, or unbelievably lame jokes, but I have the uncanny ability to whip out silly mnemonics that will unexpectedly be etched into your brain in a split second. Known to my friends as a nickname-inventing, compulsive email-checking, hug-attacking, dish-washing, over-analyzing narcoleptic, I’m really just a fun-loving ball of… fun… at heart.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I devote most of my extracurricular time to Kopitonez, the premier and only Asian-interest a cappella group at the University of Michigan. We sing songs in a variety of languages including but not limited to English, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Korean. The goal of our group is not only to share our craft, but to also spread multicultural awareness across campus and in the community. I started out as a general member because I had spontaneously auditioned after overcoming my stage fright (shoutout to Taiwanese American Foundation Juniors Program for letting me lead choir and swing choir!) and complete lack of singing experience. Over the course of one year, I arranged songs, planned our fall concert, and eventually ran for the position of Director. As such, my duties include serving a supervisory role over members of the group, representing Kopitonez to outside parties, and most importantly, facilitating a harmonious relationship between all members.

Besides Kopitonez, I am also a Walker Conference Co-chair for the Undergraduate Political Science Association. UPSA is a non-partisan organization that works directly with the Political Science Department. Our main goal is to promote a better understanding of politics and political issues across campus. The Walker Conference is our organization’s biggest event, held every spring, which has recently been revived over the past couple of years. We bring in politicians, professionals, and academics to speak about issues the field has faced and continues to face. As a co-chair, my job entails providing peer academic advising to my fellow students, organizing the event with a carefully chosen committee, and also coordinating numerous events for UPSA members throughout the year. My interest in political science actually stems from being Taiwanese American.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

From my groups, of course! Without a group, I would not be a leader. Of course I have to come up with some ideas on my own and motivate myself, but what keeps me going is seeing the impact I have on others. They influence me as much as I hope to influence them. Leading is not about telling people what to do and barking orders; it’s about fostering open communication with people who are united by a common purpose.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

For Kopitonez, I hope to share diversity through music. As our school’s only Asian-interest a cappella group, we have already set a precedent, and I only hope to bring a renewed sense of culture to campus.

For UPSA, I hope to bring together students who share my enthusiasm for political science. With a deeper insight, broader knowledge of past and present issues, we can bring about dynamic changes in the future.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

NIGHT MARKETS.

On a more serious note, I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. As I said earlier, although I was born in the states, I still feel this sense of “home” every time I go back to Taiwan. More than just physically being there, it’s about the people. I can go anywhere in the world, and still I will never find anyone like the Taiwanese people. No words can express the connection I feel when I’m around them. Asking me why I’m proud to be of Taiwanese heritage is like asking me why I’m proud to be my parents’ daughter, my grandparents’ granddaughter, so on and so forth. It’s who I am, and hearing stories of my family’s struggles only humbles me and inspires me to do all that I can for my “home.”

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Well, I’m a musician, so my answer’s going to appeal to the sense of hearing. The future of Taiwanese America SOUNDS louder to me. We need others to hear our voices, whether we’re singers or not. Like so many of the Taiwanese American leaders who have already paved the way, we need to speak up and promote our unique identity.

Any additional information you would like to share?

http://youtube.com/user/kopitonez

bigbigbigbigBIG shoutout to TAF and Kopis for making me the leader I am. Love you guys!

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Who are you?

A senior at Northwestern University, I discovered my passion for volunteer work fairly early on while in high school.  Ever since then my area of focus has become more clearly defined; the majority of my work in the past few years in college has involved youth and education.  Basically anything that involves working with children is what I’m about.  I’ve been on the front lines as a tutor and mentor for inner-city Chicago students for all ages and as a camp counselor for kids whose parents have had or currently have cancer.  I’ve also been on the logistical side of things, developing a curriculum for field trips, creating a mentoring program, and organizing volunteers to serve as tutors.  I’m interested in using both ways to help teach youth of all ages that education is an important and necessary component to achieving their life and academic goals.  Basically, I believe in working at the grassroots level to create change.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I’ve been working with the student-run non-profit Supplies for Dreams for the past two years.  Started by two high school students who are now also Northwestern students, Supplies for Dreams helps disadvantaged children from the Chicago Public School system by providing basic school supplies, mentors, and learning opportunities such as field trips to museums.  The Executive Director brought me on board when he was a freshman, and through me he was able to establish Supplies for Dreams at Northwestern.  Since then I’ve served as the Public Relations Director, the Dream Mentors Director to develop that branch of the organization, and since January as the Operations Director to oversee all staff in the organization.

In the past two years, Supplies for Dreams has become a full-service non-profit with revenues exceeding $43,000 in the first half of 2010 alone.  Its programs and events have benefited over 1,200 Chicago Public School (CPS) students mainly from low-income communities of all different races and ethnicities.  It has also involved over 20 members of staff, 160 volunteers, and countless donors.  The impact that Supplies for Dreams has made on CPS students in the past two years has exceeded my wildest dreams and will continue to do so.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I think I may be stereotypical in saying so, but I draw my inspiration and motivation to be a student leader from two main sources: Passion about a social issue I identify with and people who also believe in and work towards alleviating that issue.  Just looking at statistics confirms for that there is a serious problem with the Chicago Public School system.  Only 6% of CPS students are expected to graduate from college.  Most people went to high schools that had 90-95% graduation rates from high school and the majority of that percentage continued onto college and definitely more than 6% graduated from college.  I find those numbers infuriating and depressing at the same time.  The fact that there are students out there who would succeed if only they were given the resources that I had had access to while growing up, but who won’t succeed and will never reach their true potential because they are low-income drives me and my work within Supplies for Dreams to make a difference.  Not only that, but the people that we have drawn to our team are also passionate about the issue of education and have dedicated much of their time to the organization.  Seeing their continuous dedication reminds me again and again that no matter how frustrating the programs we develop may be or how overwhelming what we are trying to tackle is, that we need to continue doing what we do because we can and have accomplished some great things.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

My vision for the organization is fairly similar to others within our team in that we hope to see the student-run non-profit Supplies for Dreams continue to grow and support more students in the Chicago Public Schools.  Last year we donated 100 backpacks full of a years worth of school supplies CPS students, but this year we were able to donate 1,000 backpacks.  Maybe years down the line the organization can be providing 10,000 backpacks.  Not only that but our mentoring programs have been fairly small-scale so far, so hopefully in the future they can be further developed and begin to work with entire schools.  Ultimately, the goal of the organization, as with any other non-profit is to have a positive impact on communities.

UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Who are you?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American, born and raised in San Jose, California, and now completing my last year of undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego. Throughout the course of my life, I have been fortunate enough to live a comfortable lifestyle full of wellness and good health. My parents immigrated from Taiwan to the US some thirty odd years ago, in search of better prospects for education and undoubtedly, for the good of their future children. In doing so, they essentially secured for me a life where opportunities abound. For that, among a plethora of other priceless opportunities, I cannot thank them enough!

Since childhood, I had always known that I wanted to become a practicing physician, and my coursework, personal experiences and extracurricular have only bolstered such a goal. But it has since become more than just a childhood aspiration. In my studies and coursework in healthcare sociology, I have been able to juxtapose this lifestyle that my parents selflessly gave to me, and the lifestyles of those who are not as socially and economically fortunate as I am. That childhood aspiration has suddenly become more tangible and multifaceted, and I have found myself both frustrated and fascinated by the status of healthcare and modern medicine. Although I have yet to don my scrubs and white coat, I feel like this is no longer just a fantasy of age-old naïveté, but something which I am confident I want to do for life.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I currently serve as President of UCSD’s Student Health Advocates (SHA). SHAs work through the on-campus clinic, UCSD Student Health Services (SHS), and essentially act as student liaisons between the general student body and SHS to promote student health and awareness of health issues. The SHA program is an essential component of SHS, and offers many activities and outreaches through which to inform and educate. SHAs are trained in performing basic clinical tasks, as well as in educating students about many health issues and concerns. When seeking general information about health issues, which can sometimes be sensitive, people often find it more comfortable to talk to peers. Therefore, as trained student educators, SHAs provide a powerful service to the overall health of the student body.

I can easily say that the SHA program has been the highlight of my undergraduate career. Not only has it provided me with ample opportunities to experience the clinical environment and learn about various health issues, it has also allowed me to develop and apply various skills in communication, teamwork, and efficiency. As a general SHA, I perfected the tasks of taking blood pressure, educating students on the effects of smoking and presenting methods through which to deal with stress. As President, aside from overseeing general body and officer meetings, I have taken on responsibilities geared more toward the planning and execution of our events. Working with a board of officers, I have truly learned how much time and coordination it takes to effectively carry out a single event. But it’s worthwhile to see the successful completion of each event, and knowing how much it helps fellow students. Being President of SHA has allowed me to commit to my passions of providing for people from a different, more indirect perspective, and further attests to my goal of becoming a health care provider.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I believe one of the most basic wonders of being a patient lies in observing the seemingly endless knowledge being relayed to you, and the simple, satisfying feeling of knowing you will get better on the basis of such information. In realizing this, from the plethora of visits I made to my own physician, I concluded that I would like to someday be on the other side of this professional-to-patient exchange and experience the satisfaction of being able to inform, educate and improve the lives of others. This was primarily why I became involved in SHA, since it offered opportunities to become an active and vocal advocate for health to the general student body.

I also believe that in following the path toward being a health care professional, it is a moral responsibility of physicians to be aware of social issues and the current health care disparities experienced by the populace. Because of such goals, I take it upon myself to understand not only the hard clinical elements of the medical sciences, but also the social elements which strongly affect health. As such, I am also involved in the Roosevelt Institute, a student-based policy think tank, where I research and write briefs to suggest ideas for improvements in health care. For example, I recently published a policy brief on vaccine shortages in the US and their impact on public health, to be presented to politicians on Capitol Hill. In doing so, I hope to better understand the basis of what I hope to make my career, and to apply myself to the health of society in general. In essence, I am driven by aspirations of what I would like to see in terms of improvements in medicine and health care, as well as by personal passions. To sum this up…See the change? Be the change.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Growing up, there was definitely a bit of confusion about my ethnicity. My parents were born and raised in Taiwan, as were my grandparents and their parents. I was therefore Taiwanese as well, on the basis of heritage. I would tell my friends that yes, “I am Taiwanese!” But when they asked me how it differed from being Chinese, I wasn’t sure what to say.

But after each yearly childhood trip to beautiful Taiwan, I realized that it was too culturally unique – the history, the people, the places, the (amazing) food – to be confused with another country. The texture and taste of the air walking around 西門町, the demeanor of the populace and the way in which they carry themselves, the very quirks of your beloved 阿公 and 阿嬤 that you’d only expect to find in peoples so very vested and brought to fruition in what makes Taiwan, Daiwan.

For me, this self-realization of what being Taiwanese meant was a stepping stone towards the immense pride I now feel. It is but a small tribute to the struggle of Taiwan to be recognized by the world, but at the same time, the struggle for recognition makes me all the more proud, as it shows the resilience of the Taiwanese people and their unwavering loyalty and love toward what makes them so unique. Taiwan is truly a source of inspiration and as such, I am proud to call myself Taiwanese American.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

As American born peoples residing in America, it is easy to forget the roots of our heritage. I hope that my fellow Taiwanese Americans will strive to uphold facets of Taiwanese culture, such as through learning to speak Taiwanese, and learning the history and struggles of Taiwan. We can thereby preserve, uphold and even strengthen our presence in America. Additionally, it is a privilege to be exposed to both the cultures of Taiwan and America. I hope that we, as bi-cultural people, can apply what we learn within each culture and utilize it to improve upon the other.

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I am a Master’s student at UC Berkeley studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I’ve been programming since middle school and I love every minute of it. I’m currently the President of UC Berkeley’s Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society chapter, and I’ve been involved as an officer for a total of five semesters now. I also created Ninja Courses, a class scheduling website for UC Berkeley that about 20% of the undergraduate population uses. In fact, I’m planning on creating a startup with this website after I graduate. When I’m not working in front of my computer, I love playing tennis, running, snowboarding, or just exploring the great state of California.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Tau Beta Pi serves as an honor society for distinguished students, but also provides plenty of student services for the entire student body, including exam files database, an email help desk, and two child organizations. One of these organizations is Pioneers in Engineering, a high school robotics outreach program; the other is E98, a student-led course on how to survive Berkeley engineering. As for my personal role, I started out on the IT committee writing new features and even rewrote the entire website from scratch when our server was compromised. Eventually, I became more involved in a leadership role – first as IT Committee Chair, then VP, and then President. I used to be a really shy person before I joined TBP, but the people are amazing and I soon unlocked my potential within the organization (and also outside).

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

Inspiring high school students to pursue a degree in engineering is awesome. I served as a mentor for a team for Pioneers in Engineering, and the students all look up to you for both short-term robotics advice and long-term college and career goals. The world can’t have too many engineers.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Being raised in a culture where education is a prized commodity was probably the underlying factor in how I ended up where I am today (I’m a 2nd generation Taiwanese American). Many people didn’t have the same support for education that my parents provided (both in school and extracurriculars), and I’m very grateful for the way I was raised. It manifests itself even today when I’m continuing to explore new topics and challenge the limits of my knowledge.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I made a game that ran on the XBox 360. I thought that was mindblowing. Also, I made a 3-minute long domino chain/rube goldberg machine while my parents were out of town on a vacation. They came home to a snaking line of contraptions that stretched throughout the house – I still consider this one of my greatest moments.

Random fact: I wear toe shoes! People think it looks funny, but they’re very comfortable and my feet don’t hurt while running now.

Another random fact: I don’t eat ice cream. Why? I’m not really sure… we all have our quirks.

http://ninjacourses.com
http://williamhli.com

UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Who are you?

I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American and college freshman at UCSD who’s passionate about working for the advancement of the Taiwanese American community. I have been involved in the TA community ever since I participated in the Journalism Internship Program (JIP) hosted by the Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) during my junior year. Through the internship, I volunteered at many events that helped me understand more about Taiwan’s political situation. I also met many Taiwanese American leaders who inspired me to become a leader within the community.

Outside of my Taiwanese American community, I have been practicing martial arts for eight years and am currently an assistant instructor. As an assistant instructor, I help demonstrate new and difficult techniques to lower level belts. I was someone who struggled in the beginning to grasp basic techniques, so I feel like it is my duty to motivate other struggling martial artists to always give their best. I plan to continue my martial arts career by joining a team at UCSD this fall.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

This summer, I was a volunteer English teacher at Sin Fa elementary school (新發國小) in rural Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The school was a few minutes away from the area where Typhoon Morakot hit last summer. With a partner, I taught first graders who in the beginning had no motivation to learn English. We had to think of many fun activities to encourage students to learn. I learned more about the lifestyle in Taiwan, how to manage a noisy classroom, and became a little more fluent in Taiwanese and Mandarin. Although the students didn’t have much compared to students in the U.S., their energy and eagerness to participate during class made teaching one of the most memorable experiences in my life.

Besides the Journalism Internship Program, I have been involved with the Leadership Identity Development (LID) camp that is also hosted by TACL. Last summer, I attended as a camper. This summer, I had the opportunity be a camp counselor. My co-counselor and I were in charge of a small group of shy seventh and eighth graders. I learned how to step out of my comfort zone in order to encourage my campers to participate in social camp activities. The background planning and bonding with campers are my favorite parts of camp. But the most important part of being a counselor is to not just to help campers learn more about the Taiwanese culture, but to look for those who may be potential leaders within the Taiwanese American community. Being a counselor required hard work and no sleep, but it was definitely rewarding in the end. My goal is to become a camp coordinator and see all my campers become counselors one day.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I look up to my dad who is also a Taiwanese community activist. He has dedicated his life to working toward Taiwanese recognition, which has motivated me to do the same.

I also look up to Erica Ling, who directed the ITASA West Coast Conference at UCSD in April this year. She inspired me to dream big and to play an even larger role within the Taiwanese American community.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am proud of my Taiwanese heritage because it is just who I am. Nothing and no one can change that.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

The future of Taiwanese America will have more Taiwanese Americans making the spotlight in the U.S. media and politics. There will be schools for people to learn Taiwanese. Thomas Shu’s Taiwan Tea will be sold at Starbucks across the nation. Adam Wang will win an Oscar for “Best Supporting Actor” for his role in a new movie with Johnny Depp. Squatting toilets will be in style. Tsua-bing will be the new frozen yogurt. And finally, Taiwan will be recognized as a country by everyone around the world.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I have a birthmark shaped like Taiwan.

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I am Jeff Hsu, a 21 year old Taiwanese American from Rowland Heights, California. Once a chubby kid, I grew up speaking Taiwanese with my grandmother, eating shaved ice, and drinking boba. I love Taiwan and America and am happy to have the best of both worlds. I am currently a 4th year Electrical Engineering and Computer Science undergraduate at UC Berkeley. I am passionate about two things: engineering new technologies that can make this world a better place for our future, and creating music that can move people’s hearts. My biggest fear is absolute boredom. I get restless easily, and am always in need of a new adventure. I am Taiwanese American, but I hate taro. If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be with Kaskade, Nelson Mandela, the Oracle from the Matrix, and Jay Chou. I firmly believe in trying everything at least once. In my free time, I enjoy playing piano and tennis, making music, swing dancing, and rock climbing.

My past adventures include working at Apple on the chip inside of the iPhone 4 and the iPad, and founding the technology behind a non-profit organization, Mobilizing Health, that provides free healthcare advice to rural villagers from licensed doctors through text messages. Current adventures I am undertaking involve tutoring prison inmates in basic math at the San Quentin State Prison in Northern California, training for a handful of triathlons, creating electronic music, and conducting research on energy-efficient technologies for buildings.

Life has taught me a few things in the last 21 years: 1) always forget regret, for life is yours to miss 2) life is too short not to pursue your dreams and 3) Taiwanese food is the best. I cannot emphasize that last point enough.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

In March 2010, I was approached by the founder of Mobilizing Health and asked to create the SMS technology behind her organization. While all of my colleagues were looking for tech internships in Silicon Valley, I was interested in doing something more fulfilling than sitting in a cubicle all day.  A chance to help the world and travel to India for the summer? Sounds awesome, I thought! After three months of long nights of programming in Berkeley, my team and I brought the technology to India and got to work. We toiled around the entire country. Starting in Mumbai, we looked for SMS companies to collaborate with. We then went to Udaipur to persuade licensed doctors to join our program. We spent weeks driving to villages convincing people to adopt Mobilizing Health as a hub for healthcare information. After nearly getting deported because of visa issues, we took a twelve-hour overnight train ride to New Delhi to convince the government to let us stay for another month to get our program off the ground. This was probably the most intense summer of my life.

What does Mobilizing Health aim to do, you ask? Well, more than six million people die annually from treatable diseases in India (and many more in other developing countries), mainly due to the lack of access to medical professionals; there are only ten physicians per 100,000 people in rural areas in India. Our mission is to utilize our web-based technology – driven by inexpensive text messages – in order to connect licensed doctors and nurses to these medically underserved masses of rural villages. My technology currently provides free, first-aid preventative healthcare advice to people in fifty different villages bordering the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan, India, and we continue to expand.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

For the longest time, failure was my biggest fear. Then I realized, one day, that we have a limited time here on Earth to do what our hearts guide us to do. And of course, obstacles will always arise, but nothing worth doing ever comes easy, and what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, better, and smarter. And really, what can’t you do with the support of good friends and great family in one of the freest countries in the world? You can do this. Don’t become old without giving your dreams a shot at success.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

Every kid deserves a shot at life. Unfortunately, most people in rural regions of developing nations, especially kids, have no access to healthcare. Private doctors just don’t have any incentive to treat patients in the rural areas of India, and government hospitals are frequently too overwhelmed to give good service. Because of this, even the diseases that we consider benign here in America can put a Indian family in jeopardy. My vision for Mobilizing Health is that it can further expand to third world countries other than India to at least provide a simple form of free preventative first-aid healthcare to underserved villagers using new, emerging technologies. By achieving this, the parents of families can remain healthy enough to take care of their children, and most importantly, the children can grow up healthy and strong enough to pursue their goals and dreams. The future of every third world country depends on its youth, and good health for kids can lead to a reduction in poverty and ultimately, a better society.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American. Coming to America from Taiwan with close to nothing, my parents taught me the importance of hard work and kindness. Growing up in America has taught me to pursue my dreams and goals. I am proud to be a Taiwanese American, because I am blessed with the best of two awesome worlds.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

While I am specifically Taiwanese American, I believe that the Asian American community must work together as a whole to establish our identity in the United States. The absence of Asian Americans in the media, especially in music and film, is a bit startling, considering the ever-present talent in the Asian American community. We bring richness to the American melting pot of diversity. However, I am optimistic that, with time, we will be able to strengthen our community’s identity through unity and hard work.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I hope to become a Professor in Computer Science and a world famous electronic music artist someday!

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Who are you?

My name is Lester Kao and I am from Seattle, Washington. I am currently a senior majoring in Economics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, visiting museums, and sampling foods from different cultures. I also have an immense interest in public policy with regards to international development and transportation infrastructure. At Hopkins, I am conducting independent research about the economic and societal benefits of high speed rail systems. It is my hope that I can use the outcome of my research to craft a policy proposal for the Northeast Corridor region of the United States. I also hope to pursue a career in the public sector, and I am currently applying to public policy graduate programs in hopes of honing the skills necessary to succeed in the civil service.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Over a decade and a half old, the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) is an organization that provides resources and programs for students in college to better explore their heritage and identity, to help build unity among the various collegiate communities, and to help students develop and hone their leadership skills. As National President, I work with other members of the ITASA National Board to help develop our programs and activities to ensure we remain a valuable resource to all Taiwanese American student groups across the country. I am a firm believer in an organization’s need to give back to its community. This year, I am working with other members of ITASA to develop a philanthropy program that student organizations across the country can participate in. I believe such a program will be valuable as it will help more students across the country engage in the vibrant debate that exists in the greater Taiwanese American community. In addition, I hope to work with other members of the ITASA National Board to further develop our regions, to solidify the bonds between student groups and to build up communities in the regions we serve. I also look forward to working with other Taiwanese American groups as we share common goals.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I think an eagerness to make a difference is what inspires me. Before I joined ITASA, I had an interest in seeing my own TASA at Johns Hopkins interact with other TASA’s in Maryland. One of the reasons why I joined ITASA was to help solidify these bonds. It continues to motivate me until this day. I believe a key catalyst to stirring debate about what it means to be Taiwanese American is to build communities that allow students to meet other students of different perspectives. This is what drives me as a student leader – helping to grow a sense of community, and helping to make a difference.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I hope down the road that ITASA can serve as a dynamic and valuable resource in every region. ITASA’s nationwide effectiveness hinges on the continued strength of Taiwanese American collegiate communities coast to coast. I hope to work with other organizations to develop programs that motivate and empower students to become active in their own Taiwanese American communities both in college and beyond college. I see ITASA as a stepping stone between Taiwanese American organizations across the country and I believe that collaboration among all of us serves to develop the greater Taiwanese American community here in the United States.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I believe that the future of Taiwanese America looks bright. We are a vibrant community and I hope the vibrant dialogue about what it means to be Taiwanese American can continue in the future. I hope ITASA, along with other groups, can continue to serve as a medium for college students to explore their identity. I also hope ITASA, in working with local partners, can better help develop Taiwanese American communities in regions of the United States that are currently under-served.

Walnut Creek, CA

Who are you?

In March, I was elected by my church’s youth group to serve as president for the 2010-2011 school year. As well as being president, my junior year of high school involves taking AP classes, running cross country, and leading my school’s Academic Decathlon Team. Since I love everything I do – yes, I actually enjoy learning and running – I look forward to the challenges and experiences that each new day offers. I believe that being excited about daily activities, no matter how seemingly insignificant, makes life fulfilling.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The East Bay Formosan United Methodist Church (EBFUMC) Youth Group is comprised of Taiwanese youth in middle and high school. In addition to weekly Sunday school, putting on performances for the adults on special occasions, and volunteering at various charities, our youth group raises funds to benefit a different organization each year. Our main fundraisers are an annual summer talent show and Christmas music concert, but we conduct many smaller fundraisers throughout the year.

As president, I work with four other youths in the “Leadership Team” to generate ideas and plan activities. I lead monthly meetings so that the entire youth group can contribute their own ideas and suggestions, collaborate on planning, and vote on future activities. By coordinating activities, I hope to set a framework so that with everyone’s effort, we can turn abstract dreams into concrete reality.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My inspiration comes from other leaders who succeed in unifying people, as well as people I personally know who keep a positive attitude everyday. I try to emulate what they do.

My motivation comes from the members of the youth group. As president, it is my duty to act as the group’s representative; I must work hard in order to not let them down.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

Each year, our youth group only continues to improve with the addition of more members and therefore more ideas and positive energy. Joining the “I Love Taiwan” missionary program has been a tradition long before I joined EBFUMC. A record number of youth from our church (almost twenty) joined the program this summer and taught English to children all over Taiwan. Two years ago, we started our annual Talent Shows and Benefit Concerts. Last year’s funds benefitted the Asian Community Mental Health Services, and this year’s funds will benefit our first youth missionary trip to Hawaii, where we will help build houses and educate others about Taiwanese culture. As we have successfully been adding more activities to our repertoire, I am confident that the youth group will continue to expand and find ways to benefit the world community. In the future I would like the youth group to initiate its own programs as well as working to benefit or donate to other organizations. On top of this, I also hope that all youth can graduate from the group with a strong sense of purpose, leadership, and community.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am half Taiwanese and half Japanese and am second generation American. Although I have always been proud of my unique identity, I never fully understood the significance of being Taiwanese until joining my current Taiwanese church in 2008. To my pleasant surprise, I was welcomed at once by both the youth and adults. This was my first realization about the Taiwanese community: everyone is very warm and truly cares about others. I also learned that the Taiwanese are hardworking people with positive attitudes about the future. I am happy and proud to be part of this supportive community.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I am eagerly looking forward to seeing Taiwanese American youth grow up and become leaders in a wide range of fields. I feel that my parents and many first generation Taiwanese Americans worked hard to come to the United States. With the same kind of determination and perseverance, the next generation of Taiwanese Americans can do even greater things. The future is limitless and the next generation is capable. Expect us to succeed and we will exceed your expectations.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I love dancing. My favorite styles of dance are ballet and jazz, which I have been dancing for five years.

Cranbury, NJ

Who are you?

I am a 17 year old high school student who hopes to leave a positive impact on the world.  I love to eat and you’ll always find me visiting someplace new.  I have lived in New Jersey all my life and I always like to have a good laugh.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

During my sophomore year, one of my closest friends, Helene Cody, was hospitalized due to a brain aneurysm.  At the time, I came up with the idea to make 1000 cranes for her. For those who don’t know the myth, it’s that if one makes 1000 cranes they will be granted a wish such as a recovery from an illness. I was able to get lot of people involved and we were slowly making progress in reaching our goal. Unfortunately, before all the cranes were finished, Helene passed away after being hospitalized for four days on her 16th birthday. Yet because of the outpour of people of who wanted to help, over 3000 cranes were made by the time of the funeral. In her memory, her parents created the Helene Marilyn Cody Foundation. To put the cranes to good use we decided to create a display at the Pediatric ward of Princeton Medical Center in hopes of creating an inspirational piece of artwork in the playroom.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

The mission of the Helene Marilyn Cody Foundation is to “inspire youth to volunteer, to better their communities, and to better themselves. We hope young people will continue to take the initiative, to live selflessly, and to incorporate this mentality into all aspects of their lives.”

I hope that one day we will be able to accomplish this mission and make a positive impact on the lives of many people.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Raised in a super patriotic Taiwanese family, I grew up attending every single Taiwan related event there was.  Since then, I’ve become an active participant in conferences such as the Taiwan American Next Generation and Formosan Association of Public Affairs-Young Professional Program. Without my Taiwanese heritage, I really wouldn’t be the same person I am today.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I hope to see a lot of Taiwanese Americans embracing their identity, representing themselves, and correcting misconceptions.  Hopefully, one day, the difference between being Taiwanese and Chinese won’t be need to be explained.

Any additional information you would like to share?

If you’re ever on the east coast, check out Taiwanese American Next Generation(TANG)! We’re always looking for new people to join!

http://www.tangeneration.org

UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Who are you?

I am currently a proud sophomore of Thurgood Marshall College at UCSD. Although I was born in the small town of Charlottesville, Virginia, I spent my childhood in Taipei for nine years. In the spring of 2001, I moved to Arcadia, California. Having lived in both Taiwan and America shaped my perspectives; I have been blessed with the diverse cultures of both nations and have successfully integrated myself in both cultures. In high school, I was a part of the 400-member Apache Marching Band and in my fourth year, I learned to be a leader as a senior and as the band’s treasurer. Band taught me respect and teamwork, building me up to where I am now. Through my roles as both a freshman and transfer orientation leader, I strive to make people feel comfortable in new environments as they not only get their education at Thurgood Marshall College, but become integrated in a multicultural, welcoming family!

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

I am a freshman and transfer orientation leader of Thurgood Marshall College at the University of California, San Diego. Having just finished my wild ride of a freshman year, I decided to choose these positions because I wanted to guide new students to the Thurgood Marshall family. Initially, I was nervous about the position but I grew to realize that as long as you have a heart for what you do, you will excel! I have definitely been supported by my fellow orientation leaders, though. Being in the organization has exposed me to a charismatic and dynamic group, filled with people of all backgrounds. The unity we experience together is amazing, since we are all so different yet accepting of each other.

Marshall’s philosophy of the scholar and the citizen stands strong among the OL family, who all share the goal of creating a welcoming environment for newcomers.  Coming to UCSD may seem daunting at first, especially due to its size, but I want to show people that Marshall fosters a close-knit sense of community. When I was an incoming student, the orientation leaders radiated enthusiasm that clearly stemmed from their love for this college. I, too, hope to pass on the legacy of Marshall spirit!

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

My parents, being first generation Taiwanese immigrants, have inspired me to help incoming students who also have to adjust to a new environment. Being a student leader will challenge you to become more open to different perspectives. Arcadia, my hometown, was a predominantly Asian community, and coming to UCSD and working with the diverse orientation leaders and new students was definitely an eye-opening experience. The orientation leaders also motivate each other as we band together to face the challenges of representing our college in the best possible manner, making special efforts to accommodate each individual in a warm environment.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

My vision for the orientation leaders is to generate a greater sense of college pride and unity. Indeed, UCSD has a sprawling campus that spans a 30-minute cross-campus walk and has been said to lack school spirit, I hope to inspire students to get involved themselves so they can garner a greater sense of pride of being a student at UCSD and in particular, Thurgood Marshall College. Our college’s philosophy of being a scholar and a citizen applies greatly in the real world because hey, if you’re going out into the real world, it’s inevitable that you will encounter people from all walks of life. Being a scholar with all the knowledge in the world cannot replace the sense of accomplishment that one achieves by giving back to the community. I also hope to instill a sense of cultural acceptance and wish for people to come together to serve the community, despite social, economic, and political differences.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am very proud of my Taiwanese heritage. I was born in the US, but having spent my childhood days frolicking in both the concrete jungles and stunning beauty of Taiwan’s natural scenery, I adore the passion that the people have for the country. From the openness and hospitality I have experienced to the massive efforts to preserve the environment (through recycling programs, etc.), the enthusiasm that stems from being connected to strong Taiwanese roots shines through!

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I was greatly impressed by the amount of students from all over the West Coast who attended the ITASA 2010 conference, which was held at UCSD this year. I’d say that the future of Taiwanese America is looking bright, especially since I got to meet so many talented, dedicated, and unique individuals who are all very passionate in what they do, even at our age. I’m so glad to see that young Taiwanese Americans are starting to make a difference, even at a relatively young age! Who says that youth can’t make a difference?

Taiwanese Americans of the US, unite!

Any additional information you would like to share?

Taiwan is a small nation, and although I too am not the biggest fish in the ocean (I “tower” over everyone at a height of 4’9), we both should not be underestimated! We are both small in terms of physical aspects, but our great spirit and love make up for it.

University of Illinois, Champaign, IL

Who are you?

I am a student at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana studying Psychology and Chemistry. I am originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, and I have two unbelievably awesome parents and a loving older brother. I am a second generation Taiwanese American who hopes to become a dentist in order to help my community, especially those less fortunate.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

This past year, I served as President for our school’s Taiwanese American Students Club (TASC). I was responsible for the overall leadership, direction, and cohesion of the board and general members. TASC’s mission is to provide a community for Taiwanese Americans, while sharing our experiences as individuals as well as our cultural heritage. My personal goal as President was to make TASC feel like a family. I utilized the social and leadership skills and bonding games/techniques I learned at Taiwanese American Foundation (TAF) to achieve the close-knit dynamic within TASC. I believe that this dynamic is essential for people or an organization to work well. By connecting on a personal and intimate level, we were able to hold successful events, promoting our Taiwanese heritage, while also forming long-lasting relationships.

TASC hosts a number of cultural and philanthropic events, such as Illinois Chinese Adopted Siblings Program (ICASP). Students volunteer as “”big siblings”" for children adopted from China so they can learn more about their culture and heritage. We provide a fun environment for the children and a community for the parents where we can share knowledge, questions, and advice on important issues in adoptive families. This is my favorite program because whether small or big, we make an impact on these children and provide a sense of heritage and identity that they might not have otherwise discovered.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I learned to become a leader at the summer camp, Taiwanese American Foundation (TAF). TAF is largely responsible for developing my character, personality, and sense of identity as a Taiwanese American. TAF taught me a number of important lessons and ideals that I try to uphold both as a person and as a student leader, such as servant leadership. I believe that sacrifice is a powerful device and is essential for a strong leader, in addition to sharing love. It takes a good leader to know when to give up their personal desires for a greater good. Without sacrifice and God, there can be no love.
Find your calling, follow your passions, and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am 2nd generation Taiwanese American. I grew up in a predominantly Caucasian community. I was the only Asian American in my elementary school, and one of very few in my high school. But through TAF and my youth group, I found a community of Taiwanese Americans who accepted me for who I really was. I am proud to be Taiwanese American because we are a community of extremely diverse personalities, professions, and passions, yet share a love and connection to a truly Beautiful Island.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I have high expectations and hopes for the future of Taiwanese America. Just within the past few years, we have grown stronger as a community and more importantly, as a voice. We must continue to network with one another and stay connected through great organizations such as TAF and TaiwaneseAmerican.org in order to unite and become a driving force within this country. We can prevail if and only if we remain united.

Any additional information you would like to share?

One of my passions is making music. I play the guitar (poorly) and sing (averagely) but I love combining songs to make MASHUPS (probably because I’m too ADD to finish a whole song). Here are some of my creations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbeFvVrOhv8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwSiqp0OpEM
http://blog.tafworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/viva-love-forever-2010.mp3

Although I’m no Dawen, I still enjoy making music and performing with my friends.

UC Davis, Davis, CA

Who are you?

I’m a second-year at UC Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Education and doing research at the California National Primate Research Center. My mother is a high school teacher, and my father is a chemist. I have a dog named Boye and a younger brother who is slowly but surely introducing me to the finer points of video gaming. I love my weird music, the library, and all things geektastic. I paint, I play viola, and I look at the sky. My dream is to start a school focused on creativity in the sciences for kids enthusiastic about learning.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Taiwanese American Citizen’s League – Leading Youth Forward (TACL-LYF) is a youth summer camp directed towards encouraging youth to actively participate in their community while forging a strong Taiwanese American identity. As one of the two head counselors, I coordinate the logistics of camp throughout the year by holding monthly counselor meetings and ensure that camp remains true to our mission, while still being fun.

Before I became a counselor, TACL-LYF was known as Taiwanese American Youth Leadership (TAYL) camp. After my very first year as a camper in 2002, TAYL was something to look forward to each summer after school ended. It was where I first learned the meaning of the word “stereotype” and exactly how much stereotypes had impacted my life. Each year, I would go back and grow more as a person; TAYL was where I became a leader. I intend to instill the same inspiration in future campers. It has been nearly a decade since I first became involved, but I have no plans to stop. Ever.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I find inspiration through my teachers (past and present) and people who are willing to take what they learn and apply it to helping others. My high school experience played an enormous part in motivating me to do bigger things. During my senior year, I teamed up with four other students to raise money for our school to combat the education budget cuts. The success of the Save Our Schools campaign and the subsequent waterfall of similar projects it created in neighboring schools led me to believe that with enough passion and determination, one can do anything.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I want all the campers to make lifelong friends that help each other  achieve their aspirations. TACL-LYF will be a place where people come each summer to have fun, inspire, and be inspired.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American. To me, being Taiwanese American is not a label to apply to myself. Rather, it is an honor to be part of a community that strives to make a better future with the simplest tools of kindness and honesty. Not to mention the food is fantastic!

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Taiwanese Americans will be recognized as an influential part of the American society. Future generations will uphold the kindness, determination, and eagerness in making progress. Seeing as the 100 Passionate People and the 100 Student Leaders are only a small slice of the Taiwanese American pie, the future sure looks shiny!

Any additional information you would like to share?

Please visit http://lyf.tacl.org/ for more information on TACL-LYF, or join our Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2205253496